John Logie Baird was born in Helensburgh, Dunbartonshire, Scotland, to Reverend John Baird, a Church of Scotland minister, and Jessie Morrison Inglis, the orphaned niece of a wealthy shipbuilder family from Glasgow.

Baird displayed an early interest in engineering and invention, building a rudimentary telephone exchange connecting his house to those of his friends. This showcased his aptitude for electrical systems and communications from a young age.

Baird built a rudimentary telephone exchange connecting his house to those of his friends.

After his studies were interrupted by WWI, Baird completed his studies and graduated from the Royal Technical College in Glasgow (later the University of Strathclyde) with a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering.