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Philo Farnsworth (1906)close

Born in Indian Creek, Utah, Philo was fascinated with the study of electricity. Although he attended a small school, he worked closely with his chemistry teacher, and by the time he was 15 years old, he had developed a theory of electronic transmission of pictures. Six years later, he patented and produced the first working, all-electronic television system. His later work contributed to the development of the radar, electron microscopes, incubators for newborns, and guidance systems for aircraft. However, Farnsworth's son once reported that his father said this about television: "There's nothing on it worthwhile, and we're not going to watch it in this household, and I don't want it in your intellectual diet!"

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