Television is possibly the most important invention of the 20th Century.

Television is often simply called "TV". In detail, TV is defined as a "system for sending and receiving moving pictures and sound over a distance." The word television now refers to all aspects of television programming and transmission.

The history of TV is far more interesting than its recent evolutions.

In 1930 Iowa State University broadcasts the first TV commercial to promote the university's radio station.

In 1939 television is debuted in the United States at the World's Fair in New York City. At this same event Franklin D. Roosevelt delivers the first televised Presidential Address.

The more TV channels are added, the more TV popular TV becomes. This still happens today. In 1948 cable TV is introduced into rural areas of the U.S. One million homes in the United States have TV sets by 1950.

In the 1950's, "sponsored" programming helps push the popularity of black-and-white TV. The "Sponsored" shows allows television broadcasts to be free to the viewer. TV quickly becomes the most popular way of advertising.

By the 1960's most TV shows are already shown in color. However, most people will not own color television sets until the 70's. In the early 1960s Arthur Nielsen came up with a way of counting how many people watch a show. This method is referred to as "Nielsen Ratings". This system is a method that counts viewers. TV stations make money by selling commercials to advertisers. The Nielsen TV Ratings provide information used in setting advertising rates. The Nielsen TV Ratings are used to set schedules. They decide what shows stay on the air or get cancelled.

In 1986 the VHS "videotape" is introduce. As the availability of shows and other entertainment on videotape become mainstream, viewers can watch more than just what the TV stations offer. In 1996 the FCC approves ATSC's HDTV standard. By 2001 91% of U.S. homes have at least one VCR. 6 million video films are rented daily.

By 2002 the average U.S. TV viewer has access to 75 channels. Nielsen TV Ratings system reports, the most popular TV show of 2004 and 2005 in the United States is American Idol.