Airplane
Nobody can doubt that the invention of the “metal bird” has had one of the greatest impacts on human history. Drastically reducing the time required to transport goods or people, the airplane was invented by the Wright brothers who built on the work of previous inventors such as George Cayley and Otto Lilienthal. It was readily accepted by greater society, and the golden age of aviation began
Radio
The origins of radio history are complex, with many claiming Guglielmo Marconi was its inventor and others claiming it was Nikola Tesla. Either way, these two men built on the work of many notable predecessors to successfully transmit information through waves. While this may seem commonplace today, imagine trying to tell someone in 1896 that you could invisibly send information through the air. They might have though you were demented or possessed!
Telephone
The telephone has been one of the most important inventions in our modern world. As with all major inventions, its inventor and contributors are highly debated, but what’s clear is that the U.S. patent office issued the first telephone patent to Alexander Graham Bell in 1876. This patent formed the basis for future research and development of the electronic transmission of sound across long distances.
World Wide Web
Though we think of it as a recent invention, the internet existed in archaic terms back in 1969 when the United States military developed ARPANET. The first message sent through the internet – “log in” – crashed the system, only managing to send the letters “l” and “o”. It wasn’t until Tim Berners-Lee created a network of hyperlink documents and the University of Illinois created the first browser, Mosaic, that the World Wide Web came to fruition as we mostly know it today.
Transistor
It seems easy to pick up the phone and be connected to someone in Mali, Russia, or India, but none of this would be possible without the transistor. A semiconductor which amplifies electronic signals, the transistor made it possible to send information across massive distances. The man in charge of the research, William Shockley, is credited with beginning the development of Silicon Valley.
Television
Television has had a long and storied history, starting in the 1920’s and advancing through to modern-day features such as DVDs and plasma screens. One of the most popular consumer products around the world – almost 80% of households own a TV – this invention was the result of multiple previous advancements which built the product which became the primary influencer of public opinion in the mid-20th century.
Penicillin
We would have a lot fewer humans on the planet today if it weren’t for penicillin. Officially discovered by Scottish scientist Alexander Fleming in 1928, penicillin has been one of the most important inventions (more so a discovery) which has made our modern world possible. The antibiotics were among the first medicines to properly fight off staphylococci, syphilis, and tuberculosis.
Refrigerator
Harnessing fire was possibly the most important human discovery to date, but it would take many millennia until we harnessed the cold. Though humans have long used ice for cooling, its practicality and availability was limited. The nineteenth century saw a great deal of advancement as notable scientists invented artificial refrigeration by using chemicals to wick away heat. By the early 1900’s, nearly every meat-packing house and major food distributor used artificial cooling to preserve their products.
Microprocessor
You’d have to forget about your laptop and smartphone if the microprocessor had not been invented. One of the most widely known supercomputers, the ENIAC, was built in 1946 and weighed in at 60,000 pounds (27,215 kg). Intel researcher and global superhero Ted Hoff created the first microprocessor in 1971, reducing the supercomputer’s functions into one small chip and making it possible for portable computers to enter the scene.
Electricity
Most of the modern inventions on this list would not have been remotely possible if not for the greatest one of all – electricity. While we may think the internet or airplane should top this list, both have electricity to thank. Early pioneers such as William Gilbert and Benjamin Franklin laid the initial groundwork which was built upon by greats such as Volta, Faraday, and Westinghouse to ignite the Second Industrial Revolution and begin illuminating and powering our world.
