John Logie Baird (1888-1946) was a Scottish inventor and the "father of television." He was born in Helensburgh, Scotland, and he attended the University of Glasgow. Baird began to think about transmit¬ting (sending) pictures across great distances, in 1922. He worked on this idea for more than 20 years. Baird transmitted the first crude television pictures in 1924. These pictures showed only the outlines of objects. But Baird quickly developed his new invention. He was soon able to send clear TV pictures of human faces. He gave a public demonstration of the first true television at the Royal Institution in London, on January 27, 1926.
He also invented a device for seeing in darkness and through fog. This invention, the "noctovisor," used infrared light which human eyes cannot see. Baird also wanted to send television pictures in color. He transmitted his first color picture in 1928. He transmitted clear, brilliant pictures in natural color by 1939. John Logic Baird devoted the last years of his life to trying to discover how to transmit three-dimensional television pictures. He died at Bexhill-on-Sea, England.
