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Great Scientific Inventions of the Past 50 years

  • TV Remote Control Invented

    Read more about the invention of the remote control!In 1955, the TV Remote Control was invented.
  • Polio Vaccine Invented

    Jonas SalkIn 1955, Jonas Salk invented the polio vaccine. As a result, the number of polio cases worldwide plummeted.
  • Birth Control Pill

    Birth Control Pill
    The birth control pill hit the market in 1957 and usage soared. Now, birth control pills are not only used to regulate pregnancy. They can also be used to help women through menopause and help teenage girls who have severe acne.
  • First Successful Commerical Jet Airliner Debuted

    First Successful Commerical Jet Airliner Debuted
    In 1958, the Boeing 707-120 became the first succesful commericial airliner. It had four engines and could carry 181 passengers. A tank of gas lasted for 5280 miles.
  • Bar Codes First Used Commercially

    We probably can't remember a time when you didn't scan your items as you checked out at the cash register, but our parents probably can. UPC codes weren't used till the 1970s.
  • First Cordless Tool Released

    First Cordless Tool Released
    Black and Decker released the first cordless drill in 1961.
  • LED Invented by Nick Holonyak

    LED Invented by Nick Holonyak
    Nick HolonyakThe first LED was in\vented by Nick Holonyak, who worked for General Electric. LEDs are now used in hundreds of products that we see and come in contact with on a daily basis.
  • Smoke Detector Invented

    In 1969, the battery-powered smoke detector was invented and smoke detectors became available for homes in America.
  • ATM Machine Invented

    ATM Machine Invented
    ATM machines provide quick and easy access to cash 24/7, 365 days a year.
  • First Cell Phone Invented

    First Cell Phone Invented
    Martin CooperFirst cell phone was used!
  • MRI First Used for Medical Purposes

    MRI First Used for Medical Purposes
  • GPS Launched

    GPS Launched
    Invetion of the GPSAlthough the first GPS was launched in 1978, it took another 22 years (till 2000) before the GPS would appear in cheap, handheld form.
  • First Online Shopping

    The first online shopping became available in 1980. However, internet shopping exploded as the internet became more popular and easy to use in the 1990s.
  • First Laptop Computer

    Although nearly everyone owns a laptop now, even our own parents didn't grow up with such luxury. Adam Osborne invented the laptop computer in 1981.
  • DNA Fingerprinting Technique Invented

    What is DNA Fingerprinting?DNA fingerprinting is now used to ensure that criminal suspects are not wrongly accused of crimes they did not commit.
  • First Robatic Biopsies

    First Robatic Biopsies
    The first robatic biopsies marked the beginnings of minimally invansive surgery techniques, including the use of lasers. The first minimally invasive surgery was performed in 1987.
  • Prozac Invented

    Prozac Invented
    Prozac, now the most widely used anti-depressant drug, uses chemicals to help patients control their clinical depression
  • Color Plasma Display Invented

    Color Plasma Display Invented
    The color plasma display revolutionalized the way that TV was viewed...colors became richer and brighter and the action was better than ever before
  • First Stents Approved for Use

    The first stents were approved for use in 1994. Stents significantly improved the health of many individuals with heart problems.
  • Toyota Pruis Released

    Toyota released the Pruis in 1997, spurring a new era of hybrid vehicles.
  • MP3 Player Invented

    MP3 Player Invented
    MP3 Player InventedThe MP3 player would rapidly change the way that Americans listened to and purchased music.
  • iPod Released

    In 2001, Apple released one of the most popular music players of all time...the iPod.
  • YouTube Launched

    YouTubeYouTube would revolutionize the way that videos would be viewed. We now have access to millions of videos, posted by millions of individuals.
  • iPhone released

    The iPhoneThe iPhone ushered in a new era of Smart Phone technology.
  • iPad Released

    iPad Released
    First iPad released. The iPad began to revolutionized computers, allowing users to have many of the features of their computers on a hand-held, touch-screen device which came to be known as a tablet.