Centenary of John Logie Baird’s invention of the television
Tabled 27 January 2026 by Brendan O'Hara
That this House celebrates the 100th anniversary of the first public demonstration of a television system by the Scottish inventor, John Logie Baird on 26 January 1926; notes that Baird, who was born in Helensburgh, Argyll and Bute on 13 August 1888, studied engineering at both the Glasgow and West of Scotland Technical College and Glasgow University; acknowledges that following the successful screening to members of the Royal Institution of Science in his London laboratory which involved the transmission of images of a ventriloquist dummy’s head known as Stooky Bill, Baird’s work marked a significant milestone in the development of the modern television; recognises that the people of Helensburgh and Scotland are rightly proud of Baird and his work which has had a profound impact on the way we communicate today; and further acknowledges that this centenary celebration is an opportunity to reflect on Scotland’s wider contribution to worldwide advances in science, medicine, engineering and culture.