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The Magnavox Odyssey, the first video game console, is released

1st April 1972
The Magnavox Odyssey, the first video game console, is released

In 1951 Ralph H Baer came up with the idea of a home video game system and in the late 1960s came up with a set of designs. One of these, nicknamed the "Brown Box" would go on to become the Odyssey after being pitched to Magnavox. The initial design featured a row of switches that could be turned on and off to change the gameplay, replicating games such as Tennis, Volleyball or Hockey. These were later changed to different cartridges for each game.
The console was only moderately successful, it wasn't until the release of Atari's Pong that the public started taking notice of the new industry.