Philo Farnsworth
Farm boy who invented the first fully electronic television system
- Lived
- 64 yrs
- 1906 – 1971
- Works listed
- 1
- Camera tube
- Honours
- 1
- Most recent 1984
- Profile views
- 3
- 0 followers
Philo Farnsworth was an American inventor who, at 21, demonstrated the first fully electronic television system in 1927. He conceived the idea as a teenager while ploughing a field. He fought a long patent battle with RCA, which eventually paid him royalties.
Biography
The idea
Farnsworth grew up in Utah and Idaho. At 14, ploughing in parallel rows, he imagined scanning an image line by line with an electron beam. He sketched the idea for his chemistry teacher.
First electronic TV
Backed by investors in San Francisco, he built an “image dissector” camera tube. On 7 September 1927 it transmitted a simple straight line, and in 1928 he showed the system to the press.
RCA patent battle
RCA, led by David Sarnoff, claimed its engineer Vladimir Zworykin had invented electronic TV first. The patent office ruled for Farnsworth in 1935, citing his teacher’s testimony, and RCA agreed in 1939 to pay him royalties.
Later work
Farnsworth later worked on radar and nuclear fusion, inventing the Farnsworth–Hirsch fusor. He died in 1971.
Timeline
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1906
Born in Beaver, Utah, United States
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1921
Conceives electronic television aged 14
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1927
First electronic image transmitted
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1928
Press demonstration
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1935
Wins patent interference against RCA
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1939
RCA agrees to pay royalties
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1964
Fusor demonstrated
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1971
Dies in Salt Lake City
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1971
Died, aged 64
Notable works
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1927
Image dissector Camera tube
Awards and honours
-
National Inventors Hall of Fame
1984
Did you know?
-
1
His first transmitted image was a straight line.
-
2
A statue of him stands in the US Capitol’s National Statuary Hall.
-
3
He appeared on the TV quiz show I’ve Got a Secret in 1957.
Connections
Also born on 19 August
-
Satya Nadella
Technology · Chairman and CEO of Microsoft
1967
-
Gulzar
Film & TV · Poet, lyricist and film director
1933
-
Sudha Murty
Literature · Writer, engineer and philanthropist
1950
-
Willard Boyle
Science · Canadian physicist who co-invented the CCD image sensor
1924
- Edgar F. Codd Science · IBM researcher who invented the relational model behind modern databases 1923
-
Arthur Rock
Technology · Pioneer venture capitalist who funded Intel and Apple
1926
Frequently asked
Who is Philo Farnsworth?
Philo Farnsworth was an American inventor who, at 21, demonstrated the first fully electronic television system in 1927. He conceived the idea as a teenager while ploughing a field. He fought a long patent battle with RCA, which eventually paid him royalties.
When did Philo Farnsworth die?
Philo Farnsworth died on 11 March 1971 at the age of 64.
Where is Philo Farnsworth from?
Philo Farnsworth was born in Beaver, Utah, United States.
What is Philo Farnsworth known for?
Philo Farnsworth is best known for Image dissector camera tube; first all-electronic television (1927); Farnsworth–Hirsch fusor.
What awards has Philo Farnsworth received?
Notable honours include National Inventors Hall of Fame (1984).
References
- Philo Farnsworth — Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Philo Farnsworth — Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Philo Farnsworth — IMDb. IMDb. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Philo Farnsworth (Q360098) — structured data. Wikidata. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
Includes material from the Wikipedia article “Philo Farnsworth”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. That text is available under the same licence. Learn more
External links
About this profile
- Researched by the TrackFame editorial team; reviewed by Sanjay Sokal under our editorial policy
- First published 4 November 2026
- Last updated
Cite this page
“Philo Farnsworth.” TrackFame, last updated 5 November 2026. https://trackfame.com/person/philo-farnsworth
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