In the early 1920's Philo Farnsworth was working on a farm, plowing a straight line on a potato farm. His mind was far away, thinking about the possibility of transmitting moving pictures through the air. He had no electronic or engineering background, nor was he a scientist. No one in the world of science would have considered him a serious contender in the chase to find the answer to photographic transmission without the aid of wires.

Scientists from all over the world had been struggling to solve this dilemma and although many had been aided by research grants, no one came up with the answer. So, what chance did Farnsworth, a potato farmer with no education, have?

While plowing, he imagined a different approach. He imagined dividing a screen into long rows just like the field he was plowing, using electricity to create areas of light and darkness at each point along the row. Then stacking the rows on top of each other, he imagined that they could bring to focus a picture. Bingo! The results were better than anything the world of science had ever conceived. It is the very system used today in a standard television.

What did Farnsworth invent? Television. It was his vivid imagination coupled with a propensity toward science that has literally changed the world. But unfortunately he was not credited with the idea since he was only 14 years old. Two business men, George Everson and Les Gorrell took an interest in Farnsworth and invested their life savings in his research. In spite of his age they had faith in him and on September 7, 1927, Farnsworth transmitted history's first electronic television picture.

The world changed because Philo Farnsworth kept his hands on the plow and never looked back.