In-flight entertainment has come a long way over the years.
Today, the most common advancements seem to all involve WiFi–staying connected while in the air is the number one goal for travelers these days and most airlines are doing what they can to accommodate this as rapidly as possible.
Entertaining passengers trapped in a metal cylinder traveling thousands of feet in the air has been a priority ever since commercial flight began so very long ago. In honor of the industry continually moving forward in this regard, Time Magazine has published a short photo essay titled, Technology in the Sky. It kicks off with a wonderful black-and-white photograph of German passengers in 1925 watching the first in-flight movie (while sitting in whicker-back chairs).
The essay then moves forward in time showcasing various technology and luxuries such as cockpit intercoms, noise-cancellation headphones, on-demand movies, and more. Although the more recent photos are rather boring (the Airfone!) the older ones are pretty cool and worth a few moments of your time.