20 years have passed since the UN General Assembly proclaimed 21^st November as World Television Day, and it’s only right that we should mark the emergence of television as a global force for not just information but transformation. Television has become an anchor for democracy, a tool for freedom of expression and a platform for promoting socio-cultural diversity. It is how we have witnessed recent history: from the first man to land on the moon, to Martin Luther King’s famous ‘I have a dream’ speech, to Royal milestones, to the most watched sports events on the planet – television cameras have been there to record every detail. Here we revisit 10 of the most fascinating and historic events to be chronicled on TV as it has evolved from radio with pictures to an interactive digital experience. Here are those 10 moments.

1. First TV Ad: Bulova watches in 1941
2. Queen’s Coronation in 1953
3. The Kennedy/Nixon Debate in 1960
4. First man on the moon in 1969
5. First video on MTV “Video killed the video star” by The Buggles in 1981
6. Live Aid in 1985
7. The Fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989
8. Popstars in 1999
9. Twin Tower Attacks in 2001
10. Superbowl in 2016

By Philip Iacob