Timeline

Materials and  technological discoveries

>50,000 B.C.

Brushes are  developed to apply pigment to cave walls

30,000 B.C.

Clothing  materials are fabricated from animal skins

24,000 B.C.

Ceramic  materials are made from animal fat and bone, mixed with bone ash and clay

20,000 B.C.

Ivory and bone  are used to make sewing needles; A nonwoven fabric, later termed felt, is  made from compressedwool/hair

10,000 B.C.

Gourds, bones,  and clay are used to make ocarinas or vessel flutes

4,000 B.C.

Stones are  first used to construct roads in Ur (modern-day Iraq)

3,500 B.C.

Copper  metallurgy is invented and used to fabricate a variety of materials; The  first reported use of glass in Egypt and Mesopotamia

3,400 B.C.

Linen cloth  synthesized from flax is used to wrap mummies in Egypt

3,200 B.C.

Bronze is used  for weapons and armor

3,000 B.C.

Egyptians wear  clothing comprised of cotton fibers; The Egyptians construct the first  stringed musical instrument; Soap is first synthesized in Egypt using wood  ash and animal fat

2,600 B.C.

Silk fibers  are used for clothing in China

2,000 B.C.

Pewter  beginning to be used in China and Egypt; The first suspension bridges are  used in China and India

1,600 B.C.

The Hittites  develop iron metallurgy; Conceptual designs are invented for bathing suits,  fabricated/named bikini in 1946

1,300 B.C.

Invention of  steel when iron and charcoal are combined properly

1,000 B.C.

The abacus is  created by the Babylonians; Glass production begins in Greece and Syria

900s B.C.

Assyrians  develop pontoon rafts for armies to cross rivers

800s B.C.

Spoked wheels  are fabricated and used throughout Europe

700 B.C.

Italians  invent false teeth

105 B.C.

Paper is first  fabricated from bamboo fiber in ancient China

50 B.C.

Glassblowing  techniques are developed in Syria

Birth of  Christ

590

Chinese scientists discover explosive mixtures  consisting of sulfur, charcoal, and saltpeter (potassium nitrate)

618

Paper money is  first put into use during the Tang dynasty of China (618–906)

700s

Porcelain is  invented in China

747

The first  reported air conditioning system comprised of water-powered fan wheels, by  Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty

1156

First reported  synthesis of perfume by Henchum Seiken

1182

The magnetic  compass is developed and widely used in China

1249

Gunpowder is  designed/synthesized by Rodger Bacon

1280

The cannon is  invented in China

1286

Eyeglasses are  first used in Venice

1300

Chinese judges  wear smoke-colored quartz lenses to conceal their eyes in court

1400

The first use  of grenades in France, designed by an unknown inventor

1430

Vision-correcting  darkened eyeglasses introduced into China

1450

Crystallo, a  clear soda-based glass, is invented by Angelo Barovier

1570

The pinhole  camera is invented

1590

Glass lenses  are developed in Netherlands and used for the first time in microscopes and  telescopes

1593

Galileo  invents a water thermometer

1608

The Dutch  scientist Hans Lippershey invents the telescope

1612

The Flintlock  firearm is developed in France

1621

John Napier  invents the slide rule

1643

Torricelli  makes the first barometer using mercury in a sealed glass tube

1651

The Dutch  scientist Anton van Leeuwenhoek develops a microscope

1668

Isaac Newton  invents a reflecting telescope

1709

Gabriel  Fahrenheit invents an alcohol thermometer (mercury thermometer developed in  1714)

1710

Bathroom bidet  is invented in France

1712

The steam  engine is first invented in England

1714

The first  patent for a typewriter is awarded in England to Henry Mill

1717

Swim fins  (flippers) are invented by Benjamin Franklin

1718

The machine  gun is developed in England

1738

William  Champion patents a process for the production of metallic zinc by  distillation from calamine and charcoal

1749

The lightning  rod is invented by Benjamin Franklin

1752

Benjamin  Franklin invents the flexible catheter

1760s

Benjamin  Franklin invents bifocals

1770

First reported  use of porcelain false teeth in France

1774

The electric  telegraph is developed by Georges Louis Lesage

1776

The swivel  chair is invented by Thomas Jefferson

1779

Bry Higgins  issued a patent for hydraulic cement (stucco) for use as an exterior plaster

1782

Jacob Yoder  builds the first flatboat for freight/passenger transport

1787

The automatic  flour mill is invented by Oliver Evans

1789

Chlorine  bleach is developed by Claude Louis Berthollet in France

1793

The cotton gin  is invented by Eli Whitney

1800

Alessandro  Volta makes a Copper/Zinc acid battery

1801

Frederick  Graff Sr. invents the common post-type fire hydrant

1805

A  self-propelled amphibious vehicle is invented by Oliver Evans

1806

The coffee  percolator is invented by Benjamin Thompson Rumford

1808

The first  lobster trap is invented by Ebenezer Thorndike

1813

The circular  saw, invented by Tabitha Babbitt, is first used in a saw mill

1815

Humphry Davy  invents a safety lamp that is used in coal mines without triggering an  explosion; Dental floss is invented by Levi Spear Parmly, a New Orleans  dentist

1820

Thomas Hancock  develops the first elastic fabrics

1821

Thomas Johann  Seebeck invents the thermocouple

1823

Charles  Macintosh patents a method for making waterproof garments

1824

Patent issued  to Joseph Aspdin for the invention of cement

1825

Hans Christian  Orsted produces metallic aluminum; William Sturgeon invents the electromagnet  

1831

The electric  doorbell is invented by Joseph Henry

1834

The threshing  machine is invented by Avery and Pitts

1835

Solymon  Merrick invents the common household wrench

1836

Samuel Colt  invents the revolving firearm (revolver)

1837

Wheatstone and  Cooke invent the telegraph

1838

Regnault polymerizes  vinylidene chloride via sunlight

1839

Goodyear (US),  MacIntosh, and Hancock (England) vulcanize natural

Rubber; Sir  William Robert Grove experimented with the first fuel cell, using hydrogen  and oxygen gases in the presence of an electrolyte

1842

The  facsimile(fax) machine is invented by Alexander Bain

1843

The rotary  printing press is invented by Richard Hoe

1849

Ferroconcrete,  concrete reinforced with steel, is invented by Monier; The modern gas mask is  invented by Lewis Phectic Haslett

1850

The inverted  microscope is invented by J. Lawrence Smith

1853

David M. Smith  invents the modern wooden clothespin

1855

Bessemer  process for mass production of steel patented

1856

Invention of  the first synthetic dye, mauveine, by William Henry Perkin

1857

Toilet paper  is designed and marketed for the first time

1859

The escalator  was invented by Nathan Ames, referred to as “revolving stairs”

1860

FredrickWalton  invents linoleum, comprised of linseed oil, pigments, pine rosin, and pine  flour

1861

James Clerk  Maxwell demonstrates color photography

1864

Development of  flash photography by Henry Roscoe in England

1867

The metallic  paper clip was invented by Samuel B. Fay; Barbed wire is invented by Lucien  Smith

1872

Asphalt is  first developed by Edward de Smedt at Columbia University; Polyvinyl chloride  (PVC) is first created by Eugen Baumann

1873

Levi Strauss  & Co. begin producing blue-jeans out of durable canvas

1876

Nicolaus Otto  invents a gas motor engine

1877

Thomas Edison  completes the first phonograph

1881

Alexander  Graham Bell builds the first metal detector

1883

Charles Fritts  makes the first solar cells using selenium wafers; Warren Johnson invents the  first temperature regulating device known as a thermostat

1885

Sunglasses are  invented; Karl Benz designs and builds the first gasoline-fueled automobile; The  first gasoline pump is manufactured by Sylvanus Bowser; George Eastman  invents the first flexible photographic film

1887

Contact lenses  are invented by Eugen Frick in Switzerland

1888

George Eastman  introduces a Kodak camera; The common drinking straw is invented by Marvin  Stone; The revolving door is invented by Van Kannel

1890

The zipper is  invented by Whitcomb Judson in Chicago, IL

1891

The first  commercially produced artificial fiber, Rayon, is invented

1892

Calcium  carbide is synthesized, as well as acetylene gas that is generated from the  carbide

1893

Edward  Goodrich Acheson patents a method for making carborundum (SiC), an abrasive  compound

1896

Henry Ford  constructs the first horseless carriage

1901

The vacuum  cleaner is invented by H. C. Booth; The first mercury arc lamp is developed  by Peter Hewitt

1902

August  Verneuil develops a process for making synthetic rubies; The neon light is  invented in France; The first automatic tea-making machine is invented by A.  E. Richardson

1903

Ductile  tungsten wire is synthesized by Coolidge

1907

Leo Hendrik  Baekeland invents Bakelite (phenol- formaldehyde resins), used in electronic  insulation

1908

Cellophane is  invented by Brandenberger, a Swiss textile engineer

1909

Leo Baekeland  presents the Bakelite hard thermosetting plastic; Synthetic rubber is  invented by Fritz Hofmann in Germany

1916

Jan  Czochralski invents a method for growing single crystals of metals; Kotaro  Honda discovers a strongly magnetic Co/W alloy

1920

Herman  Staudinger (Germany) advances the macromolecular hypothesis – the birth of  polymer science

1923

Mercedes  introduces the first supercharged automobile, the hp

1924

Corning  scientists invent Pyrex, a glass with a very low thermal expansion

Coefficient; Celanese  Corporation commercially produces acetate fibers; The first mobile, two-way  voice-based telephone is invented at Bell Labs

1926

Waldo Semon at  B.F. Goodrich invents plasticized PVC known as vinyl

1929

Polysulfide  (Thiokol) rubber is synthesized; Carothers (du Pont) synthesizes the first  aliphatic polyesters, establishes the principles of step-growth polymerization,  and develops nylon 6,6

1931

Julius  Nieuwland develops the synthetic rubber called neoprene; Poly(methylmethacrylate)  (PMMA) is synthesized

1932

Hans von Ohain  and Sir Frank Whittle file patents for the jet engine; Cathode ray tubes  (CRTs) are invented by Allen B. Du Mont

1933

Ernest Ruska  discovers the electron microscope; magnification of 12,000×; Fawcett and  Gibson develop polyethylene (LDPE)

1936

The first  programmable computer, the Z1, is developed by Konrad Zuse; Sunglasses become  polarized by Ray Ban using a Polaroid filter developed by Edwin H. Land

1937

Polystyrene is  developed; Chester Carlson invents a dry printing process commonly called Xerox  

1938

Roy Plunkett  discovers the process for making poly-tetrafluoroethylene, better known as TeflonTM;  Fiberglass is invented by Russell Slayter

1940

Thomas and  Sparka synthesize isobutylene–isoprene rubber; Butyl rubber is synthesized in  the US

1941

Canadian John  Hopps invents the first cardiac pacemaker

1942

The synthetic  fabric, polyester, is invented

1943

The first  kidney dialysis machine is developed; Polyurethanes are synthesized by Otto  Baeyer

1944

The first  plastic artificial eye is developed in the US

1945

Percy Spencer  creates the first microwave oven

1946

Mauchly and  Eckert develop the first electronic computer ENIAC (Electronic Numerical  Integrator and Computer)

1947

The first  transistor is invented by Bardeen, Brattain, and Shockley at Bell Labs; The  first commercial application of a piezoelectric ceramic (barium titanate)  used as a phonograph needle; Invention of magnetic tape for recording  applications; Schlack develops epoxy polymeric systems

1950

The first  commercial production of acrylic fibers by du Pont

1951

Individual  atoms seen for the first time using the field ion microscope; The computer  UNIVAC 1 is developed; Polypropylene is developed by Paul Hogan & Robert  Banks of Phillips

1952

The first  application of antiperspirant deodorant with a roll-on applicator

1953

Karl Ziegler  discovers metallic catalysts which greatly improve the strength of polyethylene  polymers

1954

Six percent  efficiency silicon solar cells made at Bell Labs; Charles Townes and Arthur  Schawlow invent the MASER (microwave amplification by stimulated emission or  radiation)

1955

Optical fibers  are produced

1956

Liquid PaperTM  is formulated by Bette Nesmith Graham

1957

Keller first  characterizes a single crystal of polyethylene

1958

Bifocal  contact lenses are produced

1959

Pilkington  Brothers patent the float glass process; The first commercial production of  Spandex fibers by du Pont

1960s

Polymers are  first characterized by GPC, NMR, and DSC

1960

The first  working laser (pulsed ruby) is developed by Maimam of Hughes Aircraft  Corporation. Javan, Bennet, and Herriot make the first He:Ne gas laser; Spandex  fibers are synthesized

1962

The first  SQUID superconducting quantum interference device is invented; Polyimide  resins are synthesized

1963

The first  balloon embolectomy catheter is invented by Thomas Fogarty; Ziegler and Natta  are awarded the Nobel Prize for s polymerization studies

1964

Bill Lear (of  “Lear Jet” fame!) designs the first eight-track player

1965

A bulletproof  nylon fabric, Kevlar, is invented at DuPont; James Russell invents the  compact disk; Styrene–butadiene block copolymers are synthesized

1966

Fuel-injection  systems for automobiles are developed in the UK; Faria and Wright of Monsanto  synthesize and test Astroturf

1967

Keyboards are  first used for data entry, replacing punch cards

1968

Liquid crystal  display is developed by RCA; Allen Breed invents the first automotive air bag  system

1969

The scanning electron  microscope (SEM) is first used in laboratories to view cells in 3D; George  Smith and Willard Boyle invent charge-coupled devices (CCD) at Bell Labs

1970

The floppy  disk  is invented by Alan Shugart at  IBM; The first microfiber (polyester) is invented by Toray Industries in  Japan; The first fabric comprised of microfibers, Ultrasuede, is also  introduced

1971

The liquid  crystal display (LCD) is invented by James Fergason; The first single chip  microprocessor, Intel 4004, is introduced; The video cassette recorder (VCR) is  invented by Charles Ginsburg; Hydrogels are synthesized

1972

Motorola  demonstrates the use of the first portable cellular phone

1973

The disposable  lighter is invented by Bic; Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is invented by  Lauterbur and Damadian

1974

Post-it® notes  featuring a low-residue adhesive is invented by

1975

The laser  printer is invented; Robert S. Ledley is issued the patent for “diagnostic  X-ray systems” (CAT scans)

1976

The inkjet  printer is developed by IBM

1977

The Cray-1 ® supercomputer  is introduced by Seymour Cray; Electrically conducting organic polymers are  synthesized by Heeger, MacDiarmid, and Shirakawa (Nobel Prize awarded in  2000)

1978

An artificial  heart, Jarvik-7, is invented by Robert Jarvik；The first analog video optical disk  player is introduced by MCA Discovision

1979

The first  cassette Walkman TPS-L2 is invented by Masaru Ibuka of Sony

1980

Compact disk  players are introduced by Philips

1981

The world’s  largest solar-power generating station goes into operation (10MW capacity)；The scanning tunneling microscope  (STM) is invented

1982

The first  “personal computer” (PC) is introduced by IBM；Robert Denkwalter et al. from Allied  Corporation are granted the first patent for dendrimers

1983

US phone  companies begin to offer cellular phone service; Steve Jobs of Apple  introduces a new computer featuring the first graphical user interface (GUI),  named The Lisa

1984

The CD-ROM is  invented for computers; The first clumping kitty litter is invented by  biochemist Thomas Nelson

1985

Donald Tomalia  and coworkers at Dow Chemical report the discovery of hyperbranched polymers,  named dendrimers

1986

Synthetic skin  is invented by Gregory Gallico, III

1987

Bednorz and  Muller develop a material that is superconducting at −; Conducting polymers  are developed by BASF

1988

A patent is  issued for the IndigloTM nightlight, consisting of electroluminescent phosphor  particles

1989

High-definition  television is invented; NEC releases the first “notebook” computer, the NEC  Ultralite; A breathable, water- or wind-proof fabric, GORE-TEX® , is  introduced; The Intel 486 microprocessor is developed, featuring 1,000,000  transistors

1990

Biotextiles  are invented in the US

1991

Iijima of NEC  Corporation discovers carbon nanotubes; Sony announces the first carbon anode  based commercial Li-ion cell

1992

MiniDiscs  (MDs) are introduced by Sony Electronics, Inc.; Prof. Jerome Schentag invents  a computer-controlled “smart pill,” for drug-delivery applications

1993

The Pentium  processor is invented by Intel

1994

The first  search engine for the World Wide Web is created by Filo and Yang; Lyocell is  introduced by Courtaulds Fibers, consisting of a material derived from wood  pulp

1995

Nanoimprint  lithography is invented by Stephen Chou at Stanford; Digital Versatile Disk  or Digital Video Disk (DVD) is invented

1996

The Nobel  Prize in Chemistry is awarded to Richard Smalley, Robert Curl, and Harry  Kroto for their 1985 discovery of the third form of carbon, known as  buckminsterfullerene (“bucky balls”);WebTV is invented by Phillips; The Palm  Pilot is debuted by 3Com

1997

The  gas-powered fuel cell is invented; A fire-resistant building material,  Geobond, is patented; The digital video recorder (DVR) is invented by Jim  Barton and Mike

Ramsay,  co-founders of Tivo, Inc. Nokia introduces the Nokia 9000i Communicator. This  combines a digital cell phone, hand-held PC, and fax

1998

Motorola  introduces Iridium service, the first global satellite-based wireless telephone  service; Adam Cohen (19 years old!) develops an “electrochemical paint brush”  circuit that uses an STM probe to manipulate copper atoms on a silicon surface;  Apple computer introduces the iMac; Geoffrey Ozin at the University of  Toronto develops synthetic seashells from SiO2; Toyota Motor Corporation  releases the Prius – the first mass-produced hybrid low-emission vehicle  (LEV); Television stations in the US began to transition from analog to  digital signals

1999

Danish  physicist Hau is able to control the speed of light, useful for potential  applications in communications systems and optical computers; Safeco Field in  Seattle opens, featuring a retractable roof, and extensive drainage lines and  heating coils to maintain ideal turf conditions; The chemical ingredient used  by mussels to anchor themselves to rocks is discovered, and used to  synthesize a waterproof adhesive; Molecular-based logic gates are  demonstrated to work better than siliconbased gates – an important precedent  in the development of a molecular computer

2000

Intel releases  the Pentium IV microprocessor, consisting of 42 million transistors; Motorola  releases the i1000 Plus – the first cell phone capable of connecting to the  internet; Robotic pets (e.g., Poo-Chi, Tekno) are first introduced; The first  generation of “digital jukeboxes,” the AudioReQuest ARQ1, retails for $800  and is the first device capable of storing thousands of MP3 songs

2001

The AbioCor  self-contained artificial heart is implanted into Robert Tools; SmartShirt sensors,  to record and report body diagnostics, are designed by SensaTex, Inc. and  Georgia Tech Research Corporation; The bioartificial liver is invented by  Kenneth Matsumura; A fuel-cell bicycle is developed by Aprilia; Digital  satellite radio is developed by XM and Sirius; SunClean self-cleaning glass  is introduced by PPG Industries; A wrinkle-free shirt is developed by Corpo  Nove (Italy), consisting ofTi-alloy fibers interwoven with nylon; The  self-balancing personal transporter known as the Segway is invented by Dean  Karmen

2002

Clothing  comprised of nanowhiskers is invented by Nano-tex, LLC to aid in stain  resistance; The lightest substance on Earth, known as Aerogels, is developed  by NASA; Scientists at SUNY, Buffalo, develop a new type of semiconducting material,  GaSb/Mn, that will be used for future spintronics-based devices

2003

Scientists  discover a method used to commercially produce spider-web silk; Nanoparticles  are used for the first time for clearcoat paint finishes (PPG – CeramiclearTM);  Nanofilters are used to purity groundwater in Manitoba, Canada; Digital  videodisk recorders (DVRs) are introduced; IBM develops the smallest  light-emitting transmitter, comprised of carbon nanotubes (CNTs); Apple  computer releases laptops featuring 17- and 12-in. LCD screens; Bandages are  made from fibrinogen, a soluble protein found in blood

2004

The Blue  Gene/L produced by IBM is able to perform 70.7 trillion calculations per  second, making it the fastest computer in the world, to date; The eyeware  company Oakley develops sunglasses with a built-in audio player; Apple  releases the iPod mini – the size of a business card, but able to hold 1,000  songs; Scientists are able to control polymorphism through crystallization  within nanopores; A compound in the shape of a Borromean knot is discovered,  based on earlier theoretical simulations; Nintendo releases the hand-held  gaming system, Nintendo DS

2005

Carbon  nanotubes are synthesized in bulk, and spun into a yarn; iPod Nano and a  video-capable iPod are introduced by Apple; Motorola releases the ROKR E1  phone, capable of music downloading

2006

High-definition  DVD players become commercially available; The Wii video gaming system is  released, which detects movement in 3-D. Apple computer introduces MacBook  Pro, MacBook, and iMac product lines that contain Intel dual-core chips – the  first to contain over one billion transistors; Flat-panel display  technologies employing carbon nanotubes are demonstrated; LG designs cellular  phone that has a built-in breathalyzer for sobriety testing; this application  is also tested as standard equipment for future automobiles

2007

Apple releases  the iPhone, which combines cellular phone, internet, and iPod functionalities;  LG releases the first dual HD-DVD/Blu-ray high-definition player; D-wave  Systems, Inc. unveils the world’s first commercially-viable quantum computer;  Researchers demonstrate wireless electricity to light a bulb from away; A  nanowire battery is demonstrated by Dr. Cui at Stanford University

2008

A low-cost  solar concentrator is developed at MIT; A bionic contact lens is invented by  Babak Parviz; “Buckypaper” is discovered at Florida State University; Nocera  and coworkers at MIT develop a new catalyst to efficiently split water into H2  and O2 under ambient conditions, which may lead to a new paradigm for the  large-scale deployment of solar energy; Chemical vapor deposition is used for  the first large-scale growth of graphene; A self-healing rubber is made from  vegetable oil; Researchers at the Univ. of Pennsylvania report a robot  (ckBot) that reassembles itself after being dismantled

2009

Tour (Rice)  and Dai (Stanford) report the first precedents to unzip carbon nanotubes to  form graphene nanoribbons; The University of Maryland’s Joint Quantum  Institute successfully transport data from one atom to another in a container  one meter away (the first instance of pseudo-transportation!); Dow Chemical  Co. develops roofing shingles integrated with thin-film solar cells comprised  of copper indium gallium diselenide, CIGS; The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, the  first jet airliner to use composite materials for most of its fuselage, is  developed by Boeing; Self-assembling peptides are used for self-cleaning  window applications; The $20 knee is designed by Stanford engineering  students; Berkeley researchers create an “invisibility cloak”; A “smart” LCD screen  that recognizes off-screen gestures is developed; 18-cm long arrays of SWNTs  were synthesized – the longest carbon nanotube array to date; The first  Android cell phone is released, based on a Google OS; Simon Peers and  Nicholas Godley unveil an 11-ft.-long spider-silk cloth made in Madagascar;  The first 3-D digital camera is introduced by Fujifilm; The EnergyHub smart  thermostat is developed

2010

Apple releases  their first tablet-PC, the iPad; /Littmann develops the first electronic  stethoscope; The first $35 computer is unveiled in India; Powered  exoskeletons are developed to provide mobility assistance for aged and  infirmed people; HTC releases the first cellphone, the HTC Evo; The British  company Xeros develops a washing machine comprised of nylon beads, requiring  90% less water than traditional machines; The “Smart Bullet” is developed by  Allant Tech systems, funded by the United States military; this allows  soldiers to measure the distance to a target using a laser range finder,  dialing in exactly where the bullet should explode (over/past walls, the  corner of buildings, etc.) at precise distances.