Ask Yahoo!:

Dear Yahoo!:
Who invented the remote control?
Couch Potato

Dear Couch:
Our younger readers may not realize this, but there was once a time when you had to actually get up in order to change the channel. This pointless exertion is no longer necessary, thanks to one of the greatest inventions ever (move over polio vaccine) -- the remote control.

So who do we have to thank? According to the Great Idea Finder, the remote control was invented in the 1950s at Zenith Corporation. The first iteration, dubbed "Lazy Bones," used a cable that ran from the television set to the controller. In 1955, Eugene Polley, another Zenith employee, came up with the Flashmatic, the industry's first wireless remote. While it worked reasonably well, it did have limitations that kept it from being practical enough for everyday use.

The next year, Dr. Robert Adler unveiled the Space Command remote control. Instead of the photo cells used in the Flashmatic, the Space Command used ultrasound. This added 30% to the price of the TV, but it was considered a success and later adopted by other manufacturers."

Today, most remote controls are infrared, and according to Zenith, "more than 99 percent of all TV sets...are equipped with remote control." To that we say, "Hallelujah!"