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Eadweard Muybridge in 1878 invents the first moving pictures in the USA. This experiment was commissioned by Leland Stanford, a racehorse owner, who wanted to settle a debate about horse gait. Muybridge used a series of 12 cameras triggered by tripwires to capture a horse galloping. Proved that all four of the horse’s hooves leave the ground at once during a gallop. First demonstration of sequential photography creating the illusion of motion, a precursor to cinematography. -
Sir Joseph Wilson Swan was the first person to invent a practical and longer-lasting electic lightbulb. -
David Houston patents the roll film for cameras. -
George Eastman from the USA introduced film on a roll, enabling longer motion pictures. -
Thomas Edison’s studio allowed short films to be created and projected: early controlled filmmaking environment. -
Lumière brothers in France created a lightweight, hand-cranked motion picture camera that also served as a projector and film printer. Workers Leaving the Lumière Factory (1895) was the 1st movie projected to the public. -
Lumiere Brothers invent a portable motion-picture camera, film processing unit and projector called the Cinematographe. Lumiere Brothers using their Cinematographe are the first to present a projected motion picture to an audience of more that one person. -
Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat (1896) by Lumière brothers shocked the audience. The audiences believed the train was coming toward them. This is an early exploration of cinematic realism. -
Georges Méliès’ camera jammed and resumed filming, creating disappearing effects, recognized as the first special effects director. One of his famous work is A Trip to the Moon (1902), establishing Méliès as the first “cinematic magician. Investment in cinema grew in France, supported by pioneers like Alice Guy-Blaché. -
Enoch J. Rector (USA) filmed a boxing match on 63 mm The Corbett–Fitzsimmons Fight (1897), establishing early widescreen cinema. -
George Albert Smith (United Kingdom) experimented with cinematic perspectives, creating narrative depth and intimacy. He used the 1st close up in cinema showing a little kitten drinking milk in the movie The Little Doctor and the Sick Kitten (1901). -
The first radio receiver, successfully received a radio transmission. Invented by Guglielmo Marconi. -
Multiple cuts and cross-cutting introduced in The Great Train Robbery (1903) in the USA. Edwin S. Porter advanced narrative editing, using multiple shots to create dynamic action sequences: early foundation of modern cinematic storytelling. Theatrical cinema gave way to action cinema. -
Early small cinemas by Nickelodeons in the USA charging 5 cents. Cinema became accessible mass entertainment for working-class audiences. By 1920 there were around 50,000 cinemas in the USA. -
Charles Tait produced the first feature-length narrative film (~60–70 min) in Australia. The Story of the Kelly Gang (1906) proved the audience is interested in long-form storytelling. -
Charles Pathé used editing to contrast events and build tension across multiple storylines. Le Cheval Emballé (The Horse That Bolted) (1907, France) -
Florence Lawrence became the first movie star: public fascination with actors’ personalities influenced Hollywood’s costume, style, and film psychology. Hollywood learned and focused on costumes and luxury, adding an element of sublime to stardom. Before her, actors in films were anonymous — studios didn’t credit them by name. She became the first actress to be publicly named and promoted, creating the idea of film stardom. Audiences started to follow actors as celebrities. -
Color photography invented by Auguste and Louis Lumiere. (The image is not the 1st color photograph but one of the 1st ones) -
In Assassination of the Duke de Guise (1908, France) reverse-angle shot is used for the first time. -
Hovhannes Adamian was an Armenian enginner who patented a color television system based on the tricolor principle in Germany, marking a significant advancement in television technology. The system utilized red, green, and blue filters to reproduce color images, laying the foundation for modern color television. -
Nestor Motion Picture Company built the first studio in Hollywood using open-air platforms which was a tent-like structure. It inspired bigger, permanent studios that shaped the American film industry. -
The superheterodyne radio circuit invented by Edwin Howard Armstrong. Today, every radio or television set uses this invention. -
Polaroid photography invented by Edwin Herbert Land -
Bell Labs invents the voice recognition machine -
Peter Goldmark invents modern color television system. -
The internet was put into use in the USA.
This milestone laid the foundation for modern global networking, email, and the World Wide Web.