58 BCE
Acta Diurna: Rome's daily gazette
Julius Caesar ordered public posting of daily proceedings, an early form of organized news dissemination for citizens. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acta_Diurna
Chronological Storyline (43 Milestones)
713 CE
First newspaper in China
The Kaiyuan Za Bao, a court circular, was published during the Tang dynasty as one of the earliest known printed news publications. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaiyuan_Za_Bao
By User Ksyrie - http://www.new-365.com/press_com/print/07_3.htm, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2656433
1605 CE
First printed weekly newspaper
Johann Carolus published Relation in Strasbourg, recognized as the first regularly printed newspaper in Europe. Source — Wikipedia:
By Unknown author - https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/pastor-johannes-carolus-15751634-168921, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=177698195
1832 CE
Phénakistoscope invented
Joseph Plateau created the phénakistoscope, an early animation device that produced an illusion of motion, foundational to animation history. Source — Wikipedia:
By Simon Ritter von Stampfer - Trentsensky & Vieweg, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=70327315
1839 CE
Photography announced to the world
Louis Daguerre's photographic process was publicly announced in France, a prerequisite technology for all subsequent cinema. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Daguerre
By Jean-Baptiste Sabatier-Blot - [1], Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3112794
Dec 28, 1895 CE
Lumière brothers' first public screening
The Lumière brothers held the first public paid film screening in Paris, marking the birth of cinema as a commercial medium. Source — Wikipedia:
By Unknown author - Observatoire.fr. Archived from the original on August 14 2019., Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=157548767
1896 CE
First cinema screenings in India
The Lumière cinematograph was demonstrated in Bombay, introducing film to India and planting seeds for the world's largest film industry. Source — Wikipedia:
By Binnette - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6897594
1906 CE
First animated cartoon film
J. Stuart Blackton's 'Humorous Phases of Funny Faces' used stop-motion and hand-drawn animation, pioneering the animated film genre. Source — Wikipedia:
By J. Stuart Blackton - https://www.loc.gov/item/00694006/, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=156003539
1913 CE
Dadasaheb Phalke's Raja Harishchandra
Phalke released India's first full-length feature film, launching the Indian film industry and earning him the title father of Indian cinema. Source — Wikipedia:
By Palaviprabhu at English Wikipedia - scanned from personal collection, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5246780
1920 CE
First commercial radio broadcast
Station KDKA in Pittsburgh broadcast election results, launching regular commercial radio broadcasting in the United States. Source — Wikipedia: )
1923 CE
Disney Brothers Studio founded
Walt and Roy Disney established their animation studio, which would revolutionize animation and build a global entertainment empire. Source — Wikipedia:
By Disney Enterprises, Inc. - https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=129945316
1927 CE
The Jazz Singer introduces sound film
Warner Bros. released 'The Jazz Singer,' the first feature-length film with synchronized dialogue, ending the silent film era. Source — Wikipedia:
By Unknown author - http://pd56.org/the-jazz-singer/, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11710027
1928 CE
Mickey Mouse debuts in Steamboat Willie
Disney's 'Steamboat Willie' introduced Mickey Mouse with synchronized sound, launching one of the most iconic characters in media history. Source — Wikipedia:
By Walt Disney / Ub Iwerks - Original poster: https://kith.com/blogs/kith/kith-x-disney-journal, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=143288558
1936 CE
BBC begins regular television broadcasts
The BBC launched the world's first regular high-definition television service from Alexandra Palace in London. Source — Wikipedia:
1947 CE
First Cairo Film Festival and Egyptian cinema peak
Egyptian cinema dominated Arab-world screens throughout the mid-20th century, with Cairo becoming the Hollywood of the Middle East. Source — Wikipedia:
By FireDragonValo - Own modification of work from Commons, based on Her Pegship's image Danishfilm.png which in turn is a combination of Image:Nuvola apps aktion.png and Image:Flag of Denmark.svg, LGPL, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=147990349
1950 CE
Rashomon premieres, introducing Japanese cinema globally
Akira Kurosawa's 'Rashomon' won the Golden Lion at Venice, bringing Japanese cinema to worldwide attention and naming the Rashomon effect. Source — Wikipedia:
By Courtesy of Daiei, (c) 1950. The author of this picture is Daiei Motion Picture Company (Daiei Kabushiki-gaisha). (Today as Kadokawa Herald Pictures, Inc.). - http://carteles.metropoliglobal.com/paginas/pgrande.php?id=91653&caso=2 accessed 01--March-2008, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3635303
1952 CE
First computer game demonstrated
A.S. Douglas created OXO, a tic-tac-toe game on the EDSAC computer, one of the earliest known video games with a graphical display. Source — Wikipedia:
1954 CE
Godzilla launches Japanese kaiju genre
Ishirō Honda's 'Godzilla' premiered in Japan, creating the kaiju genre and producing one of cinema's most enduring global franchises. Source — Wikipedia: )
By Toho Company Ltd. (東宝株式会社) - movie poster made by Toho Company Ltd. (東宝株式会社, Tōhō Kabushiki-kaisha), Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3648684
1956 CE
Elvis Presley appears on Ed Sullivan Show
Elvis Presley's televised performance drew approximately 60 million viewers, demonstrating television's power as a cultural force. Source — Wikipedia:
1962 CE
First satellite television transmission
The Telstar 1 satellite relayed the first transatlantic television signal, enabling real-time global broadcasting. Source — Wikipedia:
By Rama - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0 fr, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=70029227
1963 CE
Astro Boy anime series debuts
Osamu Tezuka's 'Astro Boy' premiered as the first popular televised anime series, launching the anime industry and Tezuka's legacy as the god of manga. Source — Wikipedia: )
1967 CE
First Super Bowl broadcast
The first Super Bowl aired on CBS and NBC, launching what would become one of the most-watched annual television events worldwide. Source — Wikipedia:
By Unknown author - Own work, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10681168
1969 CE
ARPANET established
The U.S. Department of Defense's ARPANET went online, creating the technical foundation for the internet and all subsequent digital media. Source — Wikipedia:
By ARPANET - The Computer History Museum ([1]), en:File:Arpnet-map-march-1977.png, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9990864
1972 CE
Pong launches the video game industry
Atari released 'Pong' as an arcade game, becoming the first commercially successful video game and launching the gaming industry. Source — Wikipedia:
By Chris Rand - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28364913
1977 CE
Star Wars transforms blockbuster cinema
George Lucas's 'Star Wars' revolutionized special effects and the summer blockbuster, reshaping global film marketing and merchandising. Source — Wikipedia: )
1981 CE
MTV launches, transforming music and television
MTV began broadcasting with 'Video Killed the Radio Star,' creating the music video as a major media form and reshaping youth culture globally. Source — Wikipedia:
By CillBill - Loyalkaspar - Own work using: https://logos.fandom.com/wiki/File:MTV_2021_Retro.svg, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=110225052
1989 CE
The Simpsons begins historic run
'The Simpsons' premiered as a half-hour series, becoming the longest-running American scripted series and transforming television animation. Source — Wikipedia:
By 20th Television Animation - Disney+, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=104923842
1991 CE
World Wide Web publicly available
Tim Berners-Lee released the first website, making the internet accessible to the public and enabling all future web-based digital media. Source — Wikipedia:
By Liamd967 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=136836404
1995 CE
Toy Story: first fully computer-animated feature
Pixar's 'Toy Story' premiered as the first entirely computer-animated feature film, revolutionizing animation production worldwide. Source — Wikipedia:
1997 CE
Netflix founded as DVD rental service
Netflix was founded in California as a DVD-by-mail rental company, later pivoting to streaming and transforming global media consumption. Source — Wikipedia:
1998 CE
Google founded, transforming digital information access
Larry Page and Sergey Brin founded Google, fundamentally reshaping how people find news, media, and information online. Source — Wikipedia:
By The Pancake of Heaven! - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=77221979
2004 CE
Facebook launches, beginning social media era
Mark Zuckerberg launched Facebook at Harvard, sparking the social media revolution that would transform communication and news globally. Source — Wikipedia:
2005 CE
YouTube founded, democratizing video
YouTube launched, allowing anyone to upload and share video, fundamentally democratizing video production and distribution worldwide. Source — Wikipedia:
By Lyles BBQ, Smile and Learn - English, The Flat Top King (previous screenshot: yumyotta) - https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=burger+recipe (filtered to only show Creative Commons-licensed videos), thumbnails from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeSA4VUjGpE, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-hOG4lRm3Y, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMhUKXwfMbg (previous screenshot on third entry: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxgC0a3YSUw), Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=165855130
2006 CE
Twitter launches, reshaping real-time news
Twitter was founded, creating a platform for real-time microblogging that would transform journalism, political communication, and social movements. Source — Wikipedia:
By X Corp. - About X | Our logo, brand guidelines, and tools, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=175272508
2007 CE
iPhone launches mobile media era
Apple's iPhone went on sale, initiating the smartphone era that would make mobile the primary platform for media consumption and social networking. Source — Wikipedia: )
By Rafael Fernandez - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=63395591
2007 CE
Netflix launches streaming service
Netflix introduced its streaming video service, marking the beginning of the cord-cutting era and the shift from broadcast to on-demand media. Source — Wikipedia:
2009 CE
Nollywood recognized as second-largest film industry
UNESCO reported Nigeria's film industry as the world's second-largest by output, producing over 1,000 films annually and distributing across Africa and the diaspora. Source — Wikipedia:
By FireDragonValo - Combination of Image:Mplayer.svg and Image:Flag of Nigeria.svg, LGPL, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=147987144
2012 CE
Gangnam Style becomes first billion-view YouTube video
PSY's 'Gangnam Style' became the first YouTube video to surpass one billion views, demonstrating K-pop and South Korean media's global reach. Source — Wikipedia:
2016 CE
Pokémon GO launches augmented reality gaming
Niantic's 'Pokémon GO' launched and became a global phenomenon, bringing augmented reality gaming into mainstream culture worldwide. Source — Wikipedia:
2017 CE
TikTok launches, transforming short-form video
ByteDance launched TikTok internationally, popularizing short-form vertical video and becoming one of the world's most influential social media platforms. Source — Wikipedia:
2019 CE
Parasite wins Palme d'Or, then Best Picture Oscar
Bong Joon-ho's 'Parasite' became the first Korean film to win the Palme d'Or and the first non-English-language film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture. Source — Wikipedia: )
2020 CE
Squid Game becomes Netflix's most-watched series
South Korean drama 'Squid Game' became Netflix's most-watched series ever, cementing K-drama as a dominant force in global streaming culture. Source — Wikipedia:
By Netflix - Logopedia - Fandom, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=158065021
2023 CE
The Super Mario Bros. Movie sets box office records
The animated film grossed over $1.3 billion, demonstrating the growing cultural and commercial convergence of gaming IP and mainstream cinema. Source — Wikipedia: