| Keyword |
Description |
| Trichromatic |
A system that uses three colors to display many more |
| Patent |
A legal protection for a specific invention |
| Technology |
Tools and systems created to solve problems |
In Mexico, watching TV is very popular — almost every family has one! Even with smartphones and streaming, TV is still very important. But a long time ago, TV was only black and white. That started to change thanks to a young Mexican engineer named Guillermo González Camarena.
Guillermo was born in 1917. When he was just a kid, he loved taking apart electrical gadgets to see how they worked. By the time he was a teenager, he built his own electronic TV camera using parts he found at markets. He even started making small broadcasts.
In the 1930s, movies were becoming colorful, but TV was still black and white. Guillermo wanted to fix that and create color TV. In 1939, at only 22 years old, he invented a special system called the “Trichromatic Sequential Field System.” This system used spinning discs to show red, green, and blue colors one after another about so fast that your eyes combined the colors to see full color pictures.
He patented his invention in Mexico and the US, becoming the first person in the world to officially have color TV technology. Even though American companies wanted to buy his invention, he said no — he wanted Mexico to be known for making the technology, not just using it.
In 1963, Mexican television started broadcasting in color thanks to Guillermo’s work. Sadly, he died in 1965 at the age of 48. But his invention didn't just change TV in Mexico — NASA used it on space missions to send back color pictures of planets!
Today, when you watch a colorful show or movie, remember that a Mexican inventor helped make that possible.
Time to discuss
- Why was Guillermo González Camarena’s invention so important for Mexico?
- How do you think color TV changed the way people watch shows?
- Can you think of other inventions that have changed the world like color TV?
