Posted on 11/26/2006 12:39:24 PM PST by lowbridge
By any measure, 2006 has been a momentous year in American history. The nation's population surpassed 300 million. The Dow Jones Industrial Average hit an all-time high. And the vice president shot someone in the face.
More importantly, it marks the 50th anniversary of the world's first wireless television remote control. That's right, the remote - a k a channel changer, clicker, flipper switcher, god stick, zapper - is 50 years young. In November of 1956, Zenith issued its revolutionary Space Command, spawning a new breed of human sloths: the American couch potato.
In the post-WWII years, changing the channel on a television set was a backbreaking chore. One had to stand up, walk across the room to the appliance, manually turn the knob to the desired station and then walk all the way back to the original seating area.
That began to change in 1950 with the invention of the first "remote" controller, which served the vital function of allowing viewers to change channels while seated and motionless. Unfortunately, it was connected to the television set by a long and unsightly wire that ran across the living room floor, creating both a hideous eyesore and a dangerous fire hazard.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
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