Periodization Timeline

  • Period: 1200 to

    Early Modern Period

    1200-1750
  • 1201

    Block Printing

    This was used in China for many different types of art.
  • 1450

    Printing Press

    Gutenberg started developing the printing press in 1440 until it was ready to be sold in 1450.
  • Period: to

    Modern Period

    1750-1944
  • Photgraphs

    Photographs did not become more widely available until the 1880s because of the price.
  • Telegraph

    The telegraph changed the way that we did long-distance communication.
  • Telephone

    The telephone was first introduced in 1877 and has evolved dramatically to this day.
  • Silent Movies

    Silent Movies are obsolete in today's time but were popular when introduced in 1891.
  • Color Movies

    Although it is commonly believed that "The Wizard of Oz" was the first color movie it is actually "The Gulf Between".
  • Radio

    Radios revolutionized the way that people could listen to live audio.
  • Movies with Sound

    Picture with sound was a big leap in 1927, however now it is is extremely rare to see a silent movie.
  • Paperback Books

    Hardback books have been used for years but paperbacks are a good cheaper alternative.
  • First Computer

    This computer allowed programs to be run.
  • Period: to

    Contemporary Period

    1945-Present Day
  • Recording with Tape

    Tape recorders are kind of like cameras today except they use up tape instead of storage.
  • Cable TV

    Cable TV was introduced to areas with poor reception.
  • Transistor Radio

    The transistor radio is a miniature radio that uses "transistor-based circuitry".
  • Color TV

    Color TV came far after the first color movie and was revolutionary in its time.
  • Artificial Intelligence

    Artificial Intelligence is pretty much a robot that "thinks" like a human. AI has come a long way since 1955
  • First Satellite

    Sputnik was the first satellite up as a part of the Space Race.
  • Laser Printer

    Introduced by IBM, the laser printer allowed poeople to put words or pictures on paper.
  • Apple II Computer

    Apple’s 2nd computer made out of plastic and metal. Did very well in sales.
  • VCR

    A videocassette recorder offered a new way to watch different things. The cases were much bulkier than a CD but still played video and sound.
  • Cellular Phones

    Martin Cooper was one of the inventors of the first cell phone. The cell phone continues to evolve today.
  • Autonomous Vehicles

    Autonomous vehicles first showed up at Carnegie Mellon University.
  • Email

    Email or electronic-mail was used by companies in 1991 but was too expensive for the public. This was until there was a free version in 1996.
  • GPS

    The Global Positioning System is used to see someone's place on earth
  • Internet

    The internet allowed people to visit websites and be better connected to the world.
  • 3D Printer

    3D printers were invented in the 1980s and introduced in the 90s. They allowed people to print 3D objects.
  • Mp3 Player

    The mp3 player was launched by Saehan Information Systems and allowed people to listen to music.
  • DVD Players

    The DVD player allowed people to watch DVDs. However in today's world of streaming these are becoming more useless.
  • First Wireless Connection

    WiFi was an innovation that led to many different things in our modern life.
  • Youtube

    Youtube allowed people to share and watch videos all in one place.
  • Iphone

    The iphone allowed people to have different apps all in one place.
  • Ipad

    A much bigger version of an iphone that was more powerful and could do more things.