Few things have had such a pervasive and profound influence on the world as television whether it is just a constant, mindless distraction, something that brings people together (i.e. the upcoming Winter Olympics and Super Bowl XL), or a means to shape inform and/or shape opinion through the myriad of news channels across the globe. But despite the impact of television on culture and society, isn't it amazing that most people would look at you like a dog that had been shown a card trick if you asked them who had invented it.

In truth, a lot of people contributed to television's invention, but the chief architect was a man named Philo T. Farnsworth. The main reason that I'm familiar with the name is that as a child my family lived near his former estate. I vividly remember being four years old and my father pulling me on a sled to the corner grocery store following a heavy snow. Passing a large home with sprawling grounds, surrounded by a tall, iron fence, I asked my father as to whom lived there. "The man who invented television," he replied.

Philo's story is rather fascinating as he had to battle for the patent and recognition he deserved against a large corporation. If you're curious, I'd suggest checking out this article from Time.
Philo T. Farnsworth