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Sputnik
Sputnik was the first artificial satellite, and was launched by the Russians in 1957. It was not important in itself, but in the frenzy of scientific and computer-technology adavances it spurred. In many ways, it can be called the cause of today's technology. -
LED
While the technology behind the LED began as early as 1907, the first practical LED that functioned within the spectrum of visible light was not produced until 1962 by Nick Holonyak Jr. While not an immediate fad, LED's are indispensable today in making brighter, more efficient, longer light bulbs that benefit everything from the hiking to the housing industry. -
First computer mouse
Douglas Engelbart completely changed the way people interacted with computers when he invented the computer mouse in 1964. His creation was made from wood and had two gear-wheels that sat perpendicular to one another so as to allow movement on one axis. When you moved the mouse the horizontal wheel moved sideways and the vertical wheel slid along the surface. He filed for the patent in 1967 as the "X-Y Position Indicator for a Display System." -
Video game console
Ahh, there's nothing like a rainy afternoon in with your console so we have a lot to thank Ralph Baer for when he envisioned the original in 1966. In May of 1967 he played the very first two-player video game, which he lost, and in 1968 he completed the working prototype. -
Electronic Fuel INjection
The first fully successful Electronic Fuel Injection system to be installed and marketed on production vehicles debuted in 1967 with Volkswagon's Type Three 1600, a coupe. It marked the beginning of a total elimination of carburation from cars in favor of more efficient, powerful, and smooth electronic injection. -
Micro Processor
When Intel brought out the first microprocessor in 1971, the Intel 4004, it started the evolution of the home computer. Up until this time most computers were in the hands of fans and scientists with few members of the public really paying attention. -
Pong
Pong was released in 1972 by Atari and was the result of a training exercise set by Nolan Bushnell for his protégé Al Alcorn. -
Catalytic Converter
As with many technologies, the catalytic converter existed in one form or another long before 1973, but its debute in practical, production vehicle form was not until then. The catalytic converter was one of the first major steps the U.S. auto industry took in an effort to reduce pollution. Modern converters coupled with modern car engines make exhaust incredibly safe compared to the exhaust of the 60s and earlier. -
Bic Lighter
Bic revolutionized fire starting, smoking, birthdays, camping, hunting, survival, and a great deal of other activities in 1973 with the disposable lighter. Previously, lighters had been miniature lanters which required maintenance and could lose their fuel without being used because of evaporation. With Bic disposable lighters, fire became simpler. -
Cell Phones
Another technological advance that has permeated society is the cell phone. The first practical production model was released by NTT, a Japanes company, in 1979. -
IBM 5150 (personal computer
While there were several variations on the idea of the personal computer pre-1980s, including the Apple II, it was IBM that coined the term when it released the IBM 5150 on 12 August 1981. This is not to undermine the gargantuan effect that computers like the Commodore PET and the Apple II had upon the history of personal computing, but it was IBM's long-established reputation that worked in its favour. -
CD
The first commercial CD was marketed in 1982, and marked the beginning of a new era. No more monstrous vinyl rcords, no more cassette tapes unraveling in your car, the CD opened the era of information being stored in an efficient and inconspicuous manner that would eventually pave the way to modern, non-physical music files. -
microsoft windows
Microsoft Windows was introduced in the mid 80s and effectively ushered in the age of personal computers. Windows took computer use from scientific to personal, lauching Microsoft to the top of the industry to this day and creating much of the educational and business technology use seen today. -
The Web
This was the date of the publishing of the first website, and the grand opening of the public internet as we know it today, with the ability to view and move between pages with all manners of information. Truly, with the ballooning technology of the eighties holding it up, the World Wide Web became one of the most influencial technologies of all time. -
DVD
The DVD was invented in a group effort including Sony, Toshiba, Philips, and Panasonic. It was to VHS what the CD was to cassette tapes, and it brought video files into the modern age by slimming them down significantly, and providing free irritation to anyone careless enough to scratch the surface. -
Google
While only a part of the internet, Google -being one of the world's foremost search engines- defines the internet experience. It dictates what you see and don't see, how you see it, and who sees it for what reasons. Today, Google tailors individual internet experiences. -
Ipod
The Ipod defined and still defines the 21st century. From a century of bulk, to CDs and DVDs, the Ipod was the next step into modern technology. It had everything the last century couldn't provide; it was light, small, user friendly, tough, had a long battery life, and could hold more music than ten times its weight in CDs. All modern handheld devices follow its lead. -
youtube
YouTube is another defining part of todays internet experience. It represents a global culture, a massive, world wide city, complete with government, a town center, industry, poor parts of town, dark alleys, and and all other aspects of society. It increasingly provides educational and business oppurtunities.
