Television History - The First 75 Years
 
 

What Things Cost in 1952:
Car: $1,850
Gasoline: 27 cents/gal
House: $17,000
Bread: 16 cents/loaf
Milk: 96 cents/gal
Postage Stamp: 3 cents
Stock Market: 292
Average Annual Salary: $4,500
Minimum Wage: 75 cents per hour

(82K)
1952 Ford Police Car

• JANUARY:  Today Show begins with Dave Garroway
  

• APRIL: I Love Lucy is watched by 10.6 million homes, setting a new record
  

• APRIL 14th: UHF Channels (14 through 83) approved by FCC
   

•  JULY 7-14th:  First International Television Hookup!
  
  Read about the details of this unprecedented event, which linked the different television standards (819-441-405 scanning lines) of France, Belgium and Great Britain.  (courtesy of John Hauser)
  
  (200K)    (212K)    (224K)    (232K)
  

• NOVEMBER:  Experimental transistorized television demonstrated by RCA

[Pre-1935]    [1935-1941]    [1942-1945]    [1946-1949]    [return to 1950-1959]    [1960-2000]    [FAQ]