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Timeline: History of Mass Media

  • Jan 1, 1453

    Johannes Gutenberg uses his printing press to print the Bible.

    Johannes Gutenberg uses his printing press to print the Bible.
    1453: In the mid-15th century, Johannes Gutenberg invented a mechanical way of making books. Before the invention, copies of manuscripts had to be produced by hand.
    Gutenberg's press used removable wooden and later metal letters knwon as type. The type would be arranged to create the desired message and then inked on to the paper.
    This allowed the for the spread of literacy, as it made books freely accessible to many people during the Renaissance.
  • Period: Jun 6, 1453 to

    Mass Media Time Line

  • First newspaper printed in English

    First newspaper printed in English
    1620: First newspaper printed in English
  • First permanent photograph taken

    First permanent photograph taken
  • First telephone call

    First telephone call
    First telephone call made in 1876 by Alexander Graham Bell.
  • Phonograph

    Phonograph
    Thomas Edison patents the phonograph. While working on improvements to the telegraph and the telephone, Edison figured out a way to record sound on tinfoil-coated cylinders. In 1877, he created a machine with two needles: one for recording and one for playback. When Edison spoke into the mouthpiece, the sound vibrations of his voice would be indented onto the cylinder by the recording needle.
  • Wireless telegraph

    Wireless telegraph
    Guglielmo Marconi patents the wireless telegraph.
  • World's first feature length film

    World's first feature length film
    The Australian film 'The Story of the Kelly Gang' written and directed by Charles Tait is the world's first feature length film.
  • Air Mail

    Air Mail
    Air mail begins in 1912.
  • First radio stations begin operating

    First radio stations begin operating
    After the invention of short wave radio in 1919, the first radio stations begin operating in 1920.
  • First motion picture with sound debuts

    First motion picture with sound debuts
    In 1927, The Jazz Singer debuts. This is the first motion picture which has sound.
  • First fax service

    First fax service
  • Commercial television

    Commercial television
    In 1940, the first commercial television station is established.
  • Colour television

    Colour television
    In 1951, the first colour televisions go on sale for the public.
  • Vietnam War

    Vietnam War
    The Vietnam War is the first war to be televised.
  • Moon landing

    Moon landing
    When man first landed on the moon, it was broadcasted to 600 million people around the globe.
  • First computer available on the market.

    First computer available on the market.
    In 1975, the MITS Altair 8800 becomes the first pre-assembled desktop computer available on the market.
  • Mobile phones

    Mobile phones
    The first mobile phone service is commercially launched.
  • News databases online.

    New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones put their news database online.
  • CD-ROMs, laptops and pay-per-view.

    CD-ROMs, laptops and pay-per-view.
    In 1985:
    CD ROMS begin to be sold.
    The first laptop computer is introduced.
    Pay-per-view channels open for business.
  • WORLD WIDE WEB

    WORLD WIDE WEB
    The World Wide Web (WWW) is publicly opened.
  • Online advertising

    Online advertising
    The first advertisements appear on the Internet.
  • Camera phones

    Camera phones
    First camera phones are laucnhed by J-Phone in Japan.
    Previously to this, the smart phone was introduced in 1997 by Nokia. It was the first phone to be fully internet capable.
  • Citizen journalism

    Citizen journalism
    With the increased use of podcasts and blogs, citizen journalism is invented.