Technology timeline By Vrgates 1950 First credit card was invented by Ralph Schnieder 1951 Charles Ginsburg invented the first video tape recorder (VTR). 1952 The first patent for bar codes was issued to inventors Joseph Woodland and Bernard Silver. 1953 David Warren invented the black box flight recorder. 1953 Texas Instruments invented the transistor radio. 1954 Chaplin, Fuller and Pearson invented the solar cell. 1956 The first computer hard disk was used. 1958 The first electric dryer 1958 The computer modem was invented. 1959 Jack Kilby and Robert Noyce both invent the microchip. 1959 Wilson Greatbatch invented the internal pacemaker.