Philo Farnsworth

Television inventor who pioneered electronic media against corporate giants

Philo Farnsworth (1906-1971) conceived electronic television at age 14 while plowing fields in Idaho. His 1927 image dissector camera tube became the foundation of all modern video systems.

David vs. Corporate Goliaths

Farnsworth battled RCA's David Sarnoff who:

• Sent Vladimir Zworykin to steal designs
• Waged decade-long patent wars
• Suppressed credit until 1934 court victory

His U.S. Patent 1,773,980 established critical scanning principles still used in digital imaging.

Visionary Beyond TV

Later innovations included:

• Early fusion research (Farnsworth-Hirsch Fusor)
• Radar improvements in WWII
• Air traffic control systems