Technology timeline
DATE BP | COUNTRY | TECHNOLOGY | POPN WORLD (billion) | POPN AUSTRALIA ('000s) | ENERGY USE Kcal/day (West) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
BIOLOGICAL ENERGY wood fuel or fire, plant energy to power muscle | |||||
3.4 millionc.3,300 BP STONE AGE stone used for implements | |||||
2.5 M | Europe | stone scrapers | |||
1.5 M | Europe | fire | |||
170,000 | Europe | clothing | |||
300,000 | Europe | counting (bone notches) | |||
100,000 | Europe | stone tools | 4 | ||
25,000 | Europe | pottery | 4 | ||
20,000 | Europe | bow & arrow | |||
(Cro-Magnon man) | |||||
15,000 | Europe | domestication of animals and plants | 4.5 | ||
c. 12,0006000 BP NEOLITHIC EVOLUTION plant and animal domestication, settled communities, agriculture | |||||
9,000 BP | Europe | bow-sling, microliths | 6 | ||
8,000 | Middle-East | copper, agriculture, plough | 7 | ||
5,600- | Europe | concrete | 11 | ||
5,500 | Russia/ | solid wheeled vehicles | |||
Mesopot. | |||||
Mesopot. | potters wheel | ||||
Mesopot. | kiln fired bricks | ||||
Mesopot. | irrigation | ||||
Egypt | pyramid of Gizeh | ||||
5,300 | Mesopot. | nails | |||
5,100 | China | Rice domesticated (Yangtze River) | |||
5,000 | Egypt/ | candle | |||
Crete | |||||
Egypt | square-sailed ships | ||||
4,800 | Egypt | pyramids | |||
4,400 | Babylonia | abacus | |||
Egypt, Lebanon | glass | ||||
Mesopot. | |||||
bronze | |||||
4,000? | Europe | wheel, gnomon (sundial), water clock | 17 | ||
3,500? | Europe | writing & alphabet | 20.5 | ||
(E Mediterranean) | |||||
c. 3,300 1,200 BC BRONZE AGE copper and alloy bronze used for implements and weapons. |
|||||
3,300? | Europe | bronze | 21 | ||
2,700 | Europe | aqueduct | |||
2,650? | Turkey | coinage | |||
2,500 | Europe | salt | 22 | ||
2,000 | Europe | chariot | 31 | ||
C. 1,200 50 BC IRON AGE iron used for cutting tools and weapons |
|||||
1,500 | Europe | iron | |||
800 BC | Europe | sundial | |||
650 BC | Etruscans, Greece | 2-masted ship (Etruscans), crane (Greece) | |||
644 BC | Persia | windmill | |||
500 BC | glass | ||||
geometry (Pythagoras) | |||||
450 BC | China, | coinage | |||
Greece, India, Anatolia | |||||
Greece | cast-iron, cross-bow | ||||
400 BC | Greece | catapult | 24 | ||
water wheel | |||||
300-200 BC | horseshoe | ||||
compound pulley | |||||
crane | |||||
water screw (pump) | |||||
Greece, Egypt | locks (Suez Canal), water wheel, 3-masted ships | ||||
200-100 | Roman Empire, China | amphitheatre | 27 | ||
segmental arched bridge horse saddle | |||||
100 BC | China | wheelbarrow | |||
DATE AD | |||||
?NATURAL ENERGY wind (sails, windmills), water (ships, canals, waterwheel), gunpowder | |||||
100 | Greece | stirrup, windmill (to drive machine) | |||
China | paper | ||||
200-300 | Romans | crank, connecting rod | 30 | ||
305 | China | woodblock printing | |||
600-700 | China | paper money | 26 | ||
China | porcelain | ||||
724 | China | mechanical clock | |||
800-900 | China | Gunpowder | 25 | ||
algebra | |||||
850 | Mediterr. | triangular sails | |||
1000-1100 | China | movable type printing press | 26 | ||
waterwheels widespread | |||||
Europe | |||||
1100-1200 | China | magnetic mariners compass | 26 | ||
glass mirror | |||||
Italy | |||||
1286 | Italy | eyeglass | |||
1288 | Manchuria | gun firing lead bullets | |||
1327 | China | Beijing-Hangzhou Canal | |||
1400-1500 | Europe | perspective (Masaccio art) | 26 | ||
1439 | Germany | alphabet printing press | |||
1450 | Europe | News sheets | |||
1480s | Portugal | mariners astrolabe | |||
1500 | Italy | ball-bearing | |||
Germany | pocket watch | ||||
1581 | Italy | pendulum | |||
1592 | Italy | thermometer | |||
FOSSIL FUELS, STEAM coal, oil, petrol, gas | |||||
1608 | Germany, Holland | optical telescope | |||
1609 | Italy | microscope (compound optical) | |||
1620 | Holland | submarine | |||
1622 | Europe | slide rule | |||
1642 | Italy | barometer | |||
1645 | Germany | vacuum pump | |||
1650 | Germany | daily newspaper (Leipzig) | |||
1657 | Holland | pendulum clock | |||
1671 | Germany | geared-wheel adding machine | |||
1675 | Holland | micro-organisms | |||
1698 | England | engine (steam) | 32 | ||
1702 | England | Daily Courant first daily newspaper | |||
1705 | England | engine (steam piston) | |||
1708 | England | mechanical seed sower | |||
1709 | Germany | alcohol thermometer | |||
Europe | piano | ||||
1752 | US | lightning a form of electricity | |||
1750-1850 INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION fossil fuels, steam engines, complex machinery | |||||
1755 | England | Samuel Johnsons first English Dictionary | |||
1762 | England | chronometer | |||
Britain | mechanisation of Britain begins (Industrial Revoln) | ||||
1763 | England | spinning jenny | |||
1776 | England | steam engine | |||
(commercial, Watt) | |||||
1778 | Britain | threshing machine | |||
1779 | England | stem-powered mill | |||
1783 | France | hot air balloon | |||
1784 | US | bifocal lens | |||
Switzerld | oil lamp | ||||
1788 | European 859 | ||||
Ab. c. 350,000 | |||||
1786 | US | steamboat | |||
1793 | France | semaphore telegraph | |||
1796 | Britain | vaccination (smallpox) | |||
1797 | France | modern parachute | |||
1800 | Italy | battery (electricity store) | 1 | 5.22 | 38 |
1804 | England | locomotive | |||
1807 | US | steamship | |||
1809 | France | food canning | |||
1810 | Germany | steam-powered printing press | |||
1814 | England | locomotive (steam) | |||
1818 | Germany | bicycle | |||
1819 | France | stethescope | |||
1820 | Denmark | electricity-magnetism linked | 33.5 | ||
1822 | England | mechanical computer | |||
1825 | France | photographic image | |||
England | electromagnet | ||||
1826 | Britain | gas stove | |||
1827 | England | friction matches | |||
1830 | Britain | thermostat | |||
Britain | passenger trains | ||||
1831 | US | electric telegraph | |||
1832 | US | sewing machine | |||
France | DC generator | ||||
1834 | US | combine harvester | |||
US | electric motor | ||||
1835 | US | revolver | |||
UK | morse code | ||||
1836 | US | steel plough | |||
1837 | France | photography | |||
1838 | England | electric telegraph | |||
US | Morse code | ||||
France | daguerreotype photography | ||||
1840 | Britain | postage stamps | 190.4 | ||
1843 | UK | typewriter | |||
UK | long-distance electrical telegraph | ||||
1845 | Britain | rubber band | |||
1846 | US | rotary printing press | |||
1849 | US | safety pin | |||
1850 | Belgium | AC generator | 1.2 | 405.4 | |
1850 - 1915 TECHNOLOGICAL REVOLUTION electrical machinery and products, chemicals, plastics, mass prodn | |||||
1851 | telegraph cable across English Channel | ||||
1852 | France | air ship | |||
1856 | Britain | steel mass-production | |||
? | Mendels laws of inheritance | ||||
electric lighthouse | |||||
England | |||||
1859 | engine (int. combustion) | ||||
France | modern slide rule | ||||
1860 | 1,145.60 | ||||
1861 | US | pony express transport | |||
1862 | US | Gatling machine gun | |||
1864 | France | pasteurisation | |||
1866 | Sweden | dynamite | |||
telegraph cable across Atlantic | |||||
1867 | France | reinforced concrete | |||
Sweden | dynamite | ||||
1868 | US | modern typewriter | |||
1869 | Egypt | Suez Canal opened | |||
1872 | Germany | polyvinyl chloride (PVC) | |||
1874 | Germany | DDT | |||
US | large span steel bridge | ||||
1876 | Britain, US, Canada | telephone (wired) | |||
1877 | US | phonograph, | |||
microphone | |||||
France | street lighting (Paris) | ||||
1878 | US | cathode ray tube | |||
UK/US | microphone | ||||
1878 | hydroelectricity | ||||
1879 | US | light bulb (incandescent) | |||
1880 | 2,231.50 | ||||
1882 | US/Britain | thermal power stations | |||
1883 | US | steel frame skyscraper | |||
(Chicago 10 stories) | |||||
1884 | US | photographic film | |||
France | rayon | ||||
1885 | Germany | motorcycle | |||
AC transformer | |||||
1886 | US | calculation with punch cards | |||
1887 | Germany | contact lens | |||
US | gramophone | ||||
1888 | Germany | radio waves | |||
US | portable camera | ||||
Britain | pneumatic tyre | ||||
US | roll film camera | ||||
US | kinetoscope | ||||
1889 | Germany | automobile | |||
US | direct dial/automatic telephone exchange | ||||
1892 | US | tractor | |||
1893 | Britain | electric toaster | |||
US | zipper | ||||
1894 | Italy | improved wireless telegraphy | |||
1895 | Germany | diesel engine | |||
France | cinematograph | ||||
Germany | X-rays discovered | ||||
1896 | Italy | radio | |||
US | electric stove | ||||
intercontinental telegram | |||||
1897 | Germany | cathode ray oscilloscope | |||
1899 | Denmark | recording by magnetised tape | |||
1900 | Germany | Zeppelin | 1.6 | 3,765.30 | 92 |
1902 | US | air conditioning | |||
Italy | radio signal across Atlantic | ||||
1903 | US | powered airplane (Wright brothers) | |||
1904 | Germany | radar | |||
Germany | 2-sided gramophone discs | ||||
diode | |||||
England | |||||
1906 | US | amplifying tube (triode) | |||
US | animated film | ||||
US | triode | ||||
1907 | France | colour photography | |||
France | helicopter | ||||
US/Nway | outboard motor | ||||
US | electric washing machine | ||||
? | in-vivo culture of animal cells | ||||
1908 | US | mass production Model T Ford car assembly line Henry Ford | |||
Geiger counter | |||||
Germany | |||||
1909 | Belgium | bakelite | |||
1910 | France | neon light | |||
US | talking motion pictures | ||||
1912 | US | electronic oscillator | |||
1914 | Britain | steel, stainless | |||
Germany | hand-held camera | ||||
C America | Panama Canal opened | ||||
1915 | Britain | sonar | |||
Britain | military tank | ||||
? | bacterial viruses (phages) | ||||
US | Theory of Relativity | ||||
1916 | US | radios with tuners | |||
1919 | Europe | London-Paris air service | |||
1920 | 5,411.30 | ||||
1923 | US | talking movies (talkies) | |||
US/Russia | TV | ||||
US | traffic lights | ||||
US | cathode ray tube | ||||
US | television camera | ||||
1924 | US | frozen foods | |||
US | loudspeaker | ||||
1925 | US | microphone recording | |||
1926 | US | liquid fuelled rockets | |||
1927 | CanadaUS | quartz clock | |||
UK | television broadcasts | ||||
US | Al Jolson Jazz Singer movie with sound | ||||
1928 | Britain | penicillin | |||
US | electric razor | ||||
US | Mickey Mouse movie | ||||
1929 | Britain | particle accelerator | |||
1930 | ? | latex condom | |||
Britain | jet engine | ||||
US | supermarket | ||||
1931 | Britain | stereophonic sound | |||
1933 | Germany | electron microscope | |||
1934 | US | light bulb (fluorescent) | |||
1935 | Britain | Polyethylene | |||
USSR | DNA isolated | ||||
US | electric typewriter | ||||
US | colour transparency film | ||||
1937 | Britain | computer | |||
US | nylon | ||||
US | photocopying (xerography) | ||||
jet engine | |||||
Britain | |||||
1938 | Hungary | ballpoint pen | |||
US | Teflon Electronic flash | ||||
US | |||||
1939 | US/USSR | helicopter | |||
scheduled TV broadcasting | |||||
radar | |||||
Britain | |||||
1940 | US | commercial tape recorder | 7,077.60 | ||
1942 | Germany | guided missile | |||
US | nuclear reactor | ||||
US | refrigerator | ||||
1943 | France | SCUBA underwater breathing apparatus | |||
1944 | Germany | assault rifle | |||
US | government computers | ||||
DNA the material of the gene | |||||
1945 | US | atomic bomb | |||
1946 | US | microwave oven | |||
US | freeze-dried food | ||||
US | carbon 14 dating | ||||
US | mobile phone | ||||
1947 | US | transistor | |||
polaroid film | |||||
1948 | Hungary | holography | |||
US | long-playing record (LP) | ||||
AUS | First Holden car | ||||
1950 | US | disposable nappies | 2.5 | ||
TV | |||||
birth control pill | |||||
solar cells | |||||
xerox | |||||
US | credit card | ||||
1951 | US | nuclear power reactor | |||
US | commercial computers | ||||
1952 | US | hydrogen bomb | |||
US | cardiac pacemaker | ||||
1953 | Britain | double helix DNA | |||
1956 | US | optical fibre | |||
oral polio vaccine | |||||
1957 | USSR | launch of Sputniks 1 & 2 | |||
earth satellites | |||||
1958 | US | silicon chip | |||
US | laser | ||||
Britain | ultrasound imaging | ||||
US | photocopying (Xerox) | ||||
US | integrated curcuit | ||||
1960 | US | Green Revolution | 3 | 10,391.90 | |
colour TV | |||||
semiconductors | |||||
satellite communication | |||||
1961 | USSR | Uri Gagarin in space | |||
US | optical disc | ||||
1962 | US | light emitting diode (LED) | |||
first radiocarbon dating showing Aboriginals in Australia >10,000 yrs | |||||
high yield wheat in Mexico (Green Revolution) | |||||
US | |||||
1963 | US | liquid crystal display (LCD) | |||
audiotape casette | |||||
US | |||||
1966 | US | fax machine | |||
1967 | Britain | ATM | |||
1968 | US | video games | |||
Egypt | Aswan Dam completed | ||||
1969 | US | man on the moon | |||
Japan | videocassette recorder | ||||
US | microprocessor | ||||
INFORMATION AGE (digital, computer, electronic) computers, biotechnology | |||||
1970 | Britain | animal cloning | 3.7 | ||
US | digital wristwatch | ||||
1971 | US | ||||
US | pocket calculator | ||||
US | floppy disc | ||||
US | microprocessor | ||||
1972 | US | prozac | |||
US | video games | ||||
US | pocket calculator | ||||
1973 | US | ethernet | |||
US | personal computer | ||||
US | genetic engineering (gene splicing) | ||||
1974 | US | Supermarket barcode scanning | |||
personal computer | |||||
1975 | US | colour television | |||
1977 | US | fibre-optic telephone cable | |||
1978 | UK | world's first IVF baby born (test-tube baby) | |||
1979 | Japan | cellular phone network | |||
US | laser-scanned barcodes | ||||
1980 | Holland, | laser compact disc | 4.4 | 14,807.40 | |
Japan | |||||
US | IBM computer | ||||
US | laptop computer | ||||
US | computer mouse | ||||
US | video rental | ||||
US | transgenic animals | ||||
1981 | US | Sony Walkman portable casette | |||
1982 | US | transgenic tobacco resistant to antibiotic | |||
1984 | Britain | Human DNA fingerprinting | |||
1985 | US | car cellular phones | |||
US | Microsoft Windows | ||||
1987 | First human family tree using mtDNA tracing back to 'Eve' | ||||
1990 | Britain | World Wide Web | 5.3 | ||
1992 | US | computer servers | |||
1994 | US | Flavr Savr tomato first GM food | |||
1995 | Japan,US,Holland | DVD | |||
1996 | UK | mammal cloning (sheep) | |||
1997 | US | viagra | |||
1998 | US | Google founded | |||
1999 | Arabidopsis thaliana first complete plant genome | ||||
2000 | 6 | 19,272.60 | 230 | ||
2001 | US | Wikipedia | |||
? | rice genome decoded (first crop) | ||||
stem cell research | |||||
2003 | US | human genome completed (started 1990) | |||
2004 | US | social media begin | |||
2005 | US | Youtube | |||
2007 | US/ASIA | Smartphones | |||
2010 | 6.8 | ||||
2050 | 9.2 | ||||
—
First published on the internet – 1 March 2019
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