ChronoFive
Play today’s puzzle
Setting the scene
Experimental TV broadcasts had flickered in labs for years, but no company had committed to regular programming that paying customers could watch on sets sold in department stores.
What happened
Regular electronic television broadcasting began at the 1939 New York World's Fair, where RCA demonstrated NBC's service to visitors who gathered around tiny cathode-ray screens.
Why it still matters
The World's Fair showcase introduced Americans to living-room television, though World War II delayed mass adoption until the late 1940s. Memorable detail: President Franklin D. Roosevelt's fair speech was among the first events carried to the public.
Background
Early sets cost fortunes and screens were inches wide.