Tuesday marks the 45th birthday of C-SPAN, and to celebrate, the public service cable team has pulled together a highlight roll of its history-making since then-Rep. Al Gore announced from the House floor that the C-SPAN was live on March 19, 1979.

“What does TV coverage of the House mean for America?” C-SPAN said. “For the last 45 years, Americans have been able to see directly for themselves and form their own opinions about many momentous political and policy debates. Perhaps none more consequential than debates over how the U.S. government spends its money and makes foreign policy.”

Just like it does today, C-SPAN’s cameras initially focused on Gore for his announcement. Behind him was then-House Speaker Thomas P. O’Neill, the first of 10 speakers C-SPAN’s cameras have watched for over 45 years.

The outlet has gone on to cover campaigns and court cases and make the case for coverage of the Supreme Court. It has also begun to open up its coverage on the House floor to more than just key speakers, a highlight of the fight over then-Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s multiple votes to win the speakership.

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C-SPAN was created by the cable television industry and founded by Brian Lamb, and it has stuck with its original principle: providing gavel-to-gavel coverage of the workings of Congress, both the House and Senate, all without editing, commentary, or analysis.

“Over the years, we’ve grown to be so much more: on TV, online, on radio, our mobile app (CSPAN Now), our connected TV app (C-SPAN Select), through podcasts and on social platforms (YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok). We supplement live coverage of the Capitol with ideologically balanced programming concerning all manner of public policy and politics. In so doing, we promote open and transparent dialogue between the public and their elected and appointed officials — and those campaigning for office. Underpinning this impartial, balanced coverage is the fact that no government or taxpayer dollars support C-SPAN, as we continue to be primarily funded by the cable and satellite companies that provide our services to consumers,” the outlet said on Monday.