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John Logie Baird
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John Logie Baird

Scottish inventor who gave the first public demonstration of television

13 August 1888 – 14 June 1946 United Kingdom Verified by our editors
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Lived
57 yrs
1888 – 1946
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Invention
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John Logie Baird was a Scottish engineer who gave the world’s first public demonstration of a working television system in London in January 1926, using a mechanical scanning disc. He later demonstrated colour television and transatlantic TV transmission.

Biography

Background

Baird was the son of a minister in Helensburgh and studied electrical engineering in Glasgow. Poor health ended his career as an engineer, and he tried several small businesses.

Mechanical television

Working in Hastings and then London with improvised parts — a hatbox, darning needles and a Nipkow scanning disc — he transmitted moving images. On 26 January 1926 he demonstrated television to members of the Royal Institution in Soho.

Firsts

In 1928 he transmitted images across the Atlantic and demonstrated colour television. The BBC used his 30-line system for experimental broadcasts from 1929.

Eclipse and legacy

In 1937 the BBC chose the all-electronic Marconi-EMI system instead of Baird’s. He kept working on colour and 3D television until his death in 1946. In 2002 he was voted among the 100 Greatest Britons.

Timeline

  1. 1888

    Born in Helensburgh, Scotland

  2. 1923

    Begins television experiments in Hastings

  3. 1926

    First public demonstration

  4. 1928

    Transatlantic and colour TV

  5. 1929

    BBC experimental broadcasts

  6. 1931

    Televises the Derby horse race

  7. 1937

    BBC drops his system

  8. 1946

    Dies in Bexhill-on-Sea

  9. 1946

    Died, aged 57

Notable works

  • 1926

    Televisor Invention

Awards and honours

  • Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh

    1937

Did you know?

  1. 1

    The first face he televised was a ventriloquist’s dummy called Stooky Bill.

  2. 2

    He once tried to make artificial diamonds and caused a blackout in Glasgow.

  3. 3

    Australia’s Logie Awards for television are named after him.

Connections

Related people

Also born on 13 August

Frequently asked

Who is John Logie Baird?

John Logie Baird was a Scottish engineer who gave the world’s first public demonstration of a working television system in London in January 1926, using a mechanical scanning disc. He later demonstrated colour television and transatlantic TV transmission.

When did John Logie Baird die?

John Logie Baird died on 14 June 1946 at the age of 57.

Where is John Logie Baird from?

John Logie Baird was born in Helensburgh, Scotland.

What is John Logie Baird known for?

John Logie Baird is best known for First public television demonstration (1926); first colour TV transmission (1928).

What awards has John Logie Baird received?

Notable honours include Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (1937).

References

  1. John Logie Baird — Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
  2. John Logie Baird — Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
  3. John Logie Baird — IMDb. IMDb. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
  4. John Logie Baird — Goodreads author page. Goodreads. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
  5. John Logie Baird — Hindi Wikipedia. Wikipedia (Hindi). Retrieved 4 November 2026.
  6. John Logie Baird (Q133544) — structured data. Wikidata. Retrieved 4 November 2026.

Includes material from the Wikipedia article “John Logie Baird”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. That text is available under the same licence. Learn more

External links

Wikipedia
Filed under InventorsScotlandTelevision EngineerInventor

About this profile

Cite this page

“John Logie Baird.” TrackFame, last updated 5 November 2026. https://trackfame.com/person/john-logie-baird

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