Modern Technology Through the Generations

  • Telephone

    The first successful bi-directional transmission of clear speech by Bell and Watson was made on March 10, 1876, when Bell spoke into the device, "Mr. Watson, come here, I want to see you."
  • Electricity

    Thomas Edison formed the Edison Electric Illuminating Company of New York, which brought electric light to parts of Manhattan.
  • Radio

    In August of 1920 the first known radio news program was broadcast in Detroit, Michigan.
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    The Silent Generation

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    Baby Boomers

  • Black and White Television

    Black and White televisions became popular in American homes
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    Generation X

  • Color Television

    The first color tv broadcast into American homes.
  • VCR - Video Cassette Recording

    First publicly accessible VCR developed by Sony.
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    Xennial Generation

  • Personal Computer

    IBM Personal Computer launched
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    Milennials

  • Mobile Phone

    In 1983, the first mobile phones went on sale in the U.S. at almost $4,000 each.
  • 1991

    America Online (AOL) created for DOS. AOL was one the first commercially available internet service providers for american homes.
  • Social Media Begins

    Internet relay chats, or IRCs, were first used in 1988 and continued to be popular well into the 1990's. The first recognizable social media site, Six Degrees, was created in 1997. It enabled users to upload a profile and make friends with other users.
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    Post Milennials

  • Facebook Founded

    Facebook founded in Cambridge, Massachusetts.