The document traces the origins and evolution of animation from early animation toys like the thaumatrope and zoetrope in the 1820s-1860s, to flipbooks and early stop-motion animation using cut-out drawings and clay figures in the late 19th century. It then discusses key developments like the first animated film in 1906, the growing popularity and sophistication of cartoons in the 1920s-1940s, and the transition to computer generated imagery starting in the late 1970s and its increasing prominence today.