Short answers, pulled from the story.
MTV launched at 12:01 a.m. on the 1st of August 1981 with an Apollo 11 moon landing montage as its opening image. The footage displayed still images from NASA before transitioning to an American flag planted on the lunar surface.
The original MTV logo was designed in 1981 by Manhattan Design under creative director Fred Seibert with contributions from Frank Olinsky, Pat Gorman, and Patty Rogoff. An updated cropped version became official on the 8th of February 2010 after being used since FNMTV Friday Night MTV started in 2008.
Video Killed the Radio Star by The Buggles was the first music video played on the channel upon its 1981 launch. The Specials became the first act with people of color to perform on MTV when their song Rat Race aired as the 58th video on the station's first broadcast day.
MTV faced criticism because very few black artists appeared in rotation between 1981 and 1984 despite the presence of stars like Michael Jackson and Prince. Pressure from CBS Records president Walter Yetnikoff led to the decision to air Michael Jackson Billie Jean video without direct pressure from CBS according to Les Garland who was then acquisitions head.
The channel produced its first MTV Video Music Awards show in 1984 punctuated by a live performance by Madonna of Like a Virgin. The statuettes handed out are known as the MTV moon man which remains the channel's original image from its first broadcast in 1981.
As of January 2026 MTV only carries music videos in five regions: United States Japan Israel Taiwan and India. Parent company Paramount announced on the 10th of October 2025 that UK and Ireland channels including MTV Music MTV 80s MTV 90s Club MTV and MTV Live would stop broadcasting after the 31st of December 2025.