Science & Technology — Inventions & Inventors
Explore 40 important inventions, their inventors, year of invention, and the purpose that changed the way we live.
No.
Invention
Inventor / Pioneer
Year
Purpose
01
Printing Press
Johannes Gutenberg
c. 1440
Mass-produce books and printed information
02
Mechanical Calculator
Blaise Pascal
1642
Perform arithmetic calculations mechanically
03
Telescope
Hans Lippershey
1608
Observe distant objects, including celestial bodies
04
Mercury Thermometer
Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit
1714
Measure temperature
05
Steam Engine
James Watt
1760s
Convert steam energy into useful mechanical power
06
Lightning Rod
Benjamin Franklin
1752
Protect buildings from lightning strikes
07
Electric Battery
Alessandro Volta
1800
Provide a continuous source of electric current
08
Stethoscope
René Laennec
1816
Listen to sounds produced by the heart and lungs
09
Electric Telegraph
Samuel Morse
1830s
Send coded messages over long distances
10
Photography
Louis Daguerre
1839
Create permanent photographic images
11
Telephone
Alexander Graham Bell
1876
Transmit speech over a distance
12
Phonograph
Thomas Edison
1877
Record and reproduce sound
13
Practical Incandescent Lamp
Thomas Edison & team
1879
Produce practical electric lighting
14
Automobile
Karl Benz
1885–1886
Provide powered road transportation
15
Radio Communication
Guglielmo Marconi
1895
Transmit signals wirelessly over distance
16
X-rays
Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen
1895
Create images of structures inside the body
17
Diesel Engine
Rudolf Diesel
1897
Convert fuel energy into efficient mechanical power
18
Airplane
Orville & Wilbur Wright
1903
Enable controlled powered flight
19
Television
John Logie Baird
1920s
Transmit moving images and sound
20
Penicillin
Alexander Fleming
1928
Treat bacterial infections with an antibiotic
21
Radar
Robert Watson-Watt & team
1935
Detect and locate distant objects using radio waves
22
Electronic Computer
ENIAC team
1940s
Perform automated electronic calculations
23
Transistor
Bardeen, Brattain & Shockley
1947
Amplify and switch electronic signals
24
Integrated Circuit
Jack Kilby & Robert Noyce
1958–1959
Place multiple electronic components on one chip
25
Artificial Intelligence
John McCarthy & pioneers
1956
Develop machines capable of intelligent tasks
26
Laser
Theodore Maiman
1960
Produce a concentrated, coherent beam of light
27
Communication Satellite
Echo project / NASA teams
1960
Relay communication signals over long distances
28
ATM
John Shepherd-Barron & teams
1967
Allow automated cash withdrawals and banking
29
Mobile Phone
Martin Cooper
1973
Enable portable wireless voice communication
30
GPS
U.S. Department of Defense & contributors
1970s
Provide location, navigation and precise timing
31
Personal Computer
Multiple pioneers
1970s
Bring computing capability to individual users
32
Digital Camera
Steven Sasson
1975
Capture photographs electronically
33
3D Printing
Chuck Hull
1984
Create physical objects layer by layer from digital designs
34
World Wide Web
Tim Berners-Lee
1989
Link and share information through web pages
35
Bluetooth
Ericsson engineers
1994
Connect nearby devices wirelessly
36
Wi-Fi
IEEE 802.11 team & industry contributors
1997
Connect devices to networks wirelessly
37
Lithium-Ion Battery
Whittingham, Goodenough & Yoshino
1970s–1980s
Store rechargeable electrical energy at high energy density
38
Smartphone
IBM Simon team
1994
Combine mobile communication with computing functions
39
CRISPR Gene Editing
Doudna, Charpentier & contributors
2012
Precisely edit genetic material for research and medicine
40
mRNA Vaccine Technology
Many researchers
1960s–2020s
Use messenger RNA to instruct cells to produce an immune response