Television history: A century of broadcasting as BBC marks its 100th birthday

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(Photo Illustration by Carl Court/Getty Images)

The BBC has launched three new online collections looking at the broadcaster’s most iconic objects, people and contributors over the last century.

Marking its 100th birthday and a “century of broadcasting”, BBC History will feature tech, props, documents, artwork and buildings in the 100 Objects collection.

Objects include the Queen Victoria bust from the EastEnders set and Captain Sir Tom Moore’s walker after his story was first told on BBC Three Counties Radio.

The work sits on the BBC 100 website, which includes an interactive year-by-year timeline covering key moments in the BBC’s first 100 years. 

Here are some of the most significant moments in the BBC’s history:

  • 1922: The beginning of BBC Radio, with those opening words ‘2LO calling’
  • 1936: The launch of BBC TV – the world’s first high definition television service
  • 1938: The BBC’s first foreign language service in Arabic, leading to the creation of the World Service
  • 1948: The world’s first ever televised Olympic Games
  • 1967: The launch of BBC Two, the first colour channel in Europe, by David Attenborough
  • 1997: The launch of the BBC website
  • 2007: BBC iPlayer becoming the first on demand TV service in the UK

In addition, BBC History has worked with the British Film Institute (BFI) to launch ‘BFI’s 100 BBC Gamechangers’, which chronologically lists the 100 BBC TV programmes that changed the landscape of British TV. The list will be published in Spring.

Meanwhile, the Science Museum will digitise 1000 BBC objects for the first time and launch a major exhibition and events programme across the UK. Other regional museum partners will also mark the centenary through collections and displays.

Robert Seatter, BBC’s Head of History, commented: “The BBC has an amazing history which belongs to us all. As we mark 100 years of our BBC, these new digital resources, partner exhibitions, research and publications give a unique insight into the history of  the Corporation and provide something to intrigue audiences of all ages.”