This July 20, 1969 photo shows astronaut Edwin E. "Buzz" Aldrin Jr. posing for a photograph beside the U.S. flag deployed on the moon during the Apollo 11 mission. Source: AP
TODAY is world television day.
But it’s not a day that we celebrate reality TV, funny moments and those who’ve made their fifteen minutes on fame on the small screen.
In 1996, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed November 21 as World Television Day, “in recognition of the increasing impact television has on decision-making by alerting world attention to conflicts and threats to peace and security and its potential role in sharpening the focus on other major issues, including economic and social issues.”
World Television Day “is not so much a celebration of the tool, but rather the philosophy which it represents. Television represents a symbol for communication and globalisation in the contemporary world,” the United Nations proclaimed.
While tens of millions of Australians watch it daily, Census Australia released a surprising tweet on the number of Australia who present on television.
Recognising the television and its impacts on communication and globalization on #WorldTVDay. There are 398 Television Presenters in Aus.
— Census Australia (@ABSCensus) November 20, 2014 Here are five moments captured on television that changed the world.
The first televised Presidential debate
Kennedy-Nixon First Presidential Debate
Political historians and media experts agree that the first televised Presidential debate in 1960 between Republican Vice President Richard Nixon and his relatively unknown challenger, Senator John F. Kennedy, changed the face of politics and the way people consumed news. For the first time voters were able to see how candidates presented their arguments — and themselves — and were no longer just a voice on the radio. The TV reaction reflected public sentiment with Kennedy winning the election and his suave confidence on the screen overshadowing his rival. Political campaigns became an image game with confident posture and good looks becoming just as important as how candidates spoke.
Assassination of John F Kennedy
John F Kennedy assassination
Incredible footage of US President John F Kennedy’s assassination on November 22, 1963, was captured by citizen Abraham Zapruder almost by accident as he travelled to Dealey Plaza in Dallas to see the 35th President.
In 1975, the complete version of Zapruder’s film aired live on ABC’s Good Night America. The footage was an official piece of evidence, a historical record, an art object, and some critics even believe that the violence and shock of this home movie led to a new way of representing violence in cinema and mainstream films. Others have suggested it was the beginning of citizen journalism — where anyone with a camera can create something of global broadcast value.
The first landing on the moon
First landing on the moon
In 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first person to step foot on the moon. When the crew of Apollo 11 landed on July 20, television networks covered the event for 30 straight hours. It was an incredible feat of human achievement and they beamed it to every television in the world. An entire generation marked the moment as pivotal in their lives, believing that if they could put a man on the moon, anything was possible.
Fall of the Berlin Wall
Fall of the Berlin Wall coverage
In 1989, travel was finally allowed between East and West Germany as East Germany’s Communist rulers gave permission for gates along the wall to be opened after floods of people converged at crossing points. The first concrete slab was officially removed on November 10, as people all along the wall chipped away at this concrete symbol of separation. And television cameras were there to capture it all.
9/11 terrorist attacks
9/11, 2001
The whole world stopped to watch terrifying footage of two hijacked planes being deliberately flown into the north and south towers of the World Trade Centre in 2001. The crumbling of the twin towers happened on live television, with the news channels broadcasting continuous coverage for hours, days and weeks after it happened. A third plane also crashed into the Pentagon, the headquarters of the US Defence department. Almost every person remembers where they were when September 11 happened, and no one will forget it.
