Technological Innovation Since 1906: A Timeline

donbosco

donbosco

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Timeline of Technological Innovations​

  • 1906 – First Audio Radio Transmission
    Reginald Fessenden successfully transmits the first audio radio transmission, laying the foundation for public radio broadcasts.

  • 1920 – First Commercial Radio Station
    KDKA in Pittsburgh begins broadcasting, marking the start of commercial radio.

  • 1927 – First Electronic Television Image
    Philo Farnsworth transmits the first electronic television image, paving the way for modern TV.

  • 1939 – First Public TV Broadcast
    The first public television broadcast in the U.S. introduces television as a new medium of entertainment and communication.

  • 1954 – First Color TV Broadcast
    NBC launches the first color TV broadcast, transitioning from black-and-white to color television.

  • 1956 – VHS Tapes Introduced
    The VHS (Video Home System) format is introduced, allowing consumers to record TV shows and movies, and rent movies.

  • 1960s – FM Radio Gains Popularity
    FM radio becomes a popular medium for music and news, offering higher sound quality compared to AM radio.

  • 1965 – Satellite Television Broadcasts
    The first satellite television broadcasts begin, expanding the reach of TV beyond terrestrial signals.

  • 1976 – VHS Tapes and Home Video Recording
    The VHS format becomes widely available, providing a new way for consumers to record and watch movies at home.

  • 1983 – First Mobile Phone (Motorola DynaTAC)
    Motorola introduces the first mobile phone, the DynaTAC, making cellular communication possible.

  • 1992 – First Text Message Sent
    The first SMS (Short Message Service) text message is sent, marking the beginning of text-based mobile communication.

  • 1997 – DVD Players Introduced
    DVD players replace VHS tapes, offering superior video and sound quality, as well as additional features like scene selection and subtitles.

  • 1999 – MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service)
    The MMS format is introduced, allowing users to send multimedia messages (photos, video, audio) via mobile phones.

  • 2004 – Facebook Launched
    Facebook is launched, becoming one of the first major social media platforms and revolutionizing social networking.

  • 2007 – iPhone Released
    The iPhone is released, combining mobile communication, internet browsing, a music player, and a touchscreen interface in one device, changing the mobile phone landscape.

  • 2008 – Android OS Released
    Android is launched, creating a major competitor to the iPhone and leading to the widespread use of smartphones globally.

  • 2010 – Instagram Launched
    Instagram is founded, providing a platform for sharing photos and videos, and rapidly growing into a major social media platform.

  • 2016 – TikTok Launched
    TikTok is launched, bringing short-form video content and viral trends to the forefront of social media and reshaping how content is consumed.

  • 2017 – 4K TV Released
    4K resolution televisions are introduced, offering ultra-high-definition video quality for home entertainment.

  • 2018 – "Bandersnatch" Interactive TV Show
    The interactive TV show "Black Mirror: Bandersnatch" is released, allowing viewers to make decisions that affect the story’s outcome.

  • 2020 – 5G Networks Launched
    5G mobile networks begin rolling out, providing faster data speeds and enabling new technologies like AR (Augmented Reality) and VR (Virtual Reality) in mobile devices.

  • 2020s – 8K TV Released
    8K TVs are introduced, providing four times the resolution of 4K and pushing the boundaries of home viewing quality.

  • 2020s – Voice Assistants Integrated into Smart TVs
    Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri are integrated into Smart TVs, allowing users to control their television experience using voice commands.


  • This was created with free ChatGPT (https://chatgpt.com/) with several adjustments/new commands to focus the production working to make the list more specific. I have not checked it for accuracy.
  • Anything to add -- What's missing? Quarrels with the list or the information attached?
 
HDTV added in (See 1998 and 2012) and a tighter chronological order provided. @farce©

  • 1906 – First Audio Radio Transmission
    Reginald Fessenden makes the first successful audio radio transmission, marking the beginning of modern radio broadcasting.
  • 1920 – First Commercial Radio Station
    KDKA in Pittsburgh becomes the first commercial radio station, beginning regular broadcasts of news, music, and entertainment.
  • 1927 – First Electronic Television Image
    Philo Farnsworth transmits the first electronic television image, marking a key milestone in the development of modern television technology.
  • 1939 – First Public Television Broadcast
    The first public television broadcast in the U.S. introduces the general public to television as a new form of mass communication and entertainment.
  • 1954 – First Color TV Broadcast
    NBC launches the first color TV broadcast, transitioning from black-and-white TV to color, revolutionizing the viewing experience for the audience.
  • 1956 – VHS Tapes Introduced
    VHS (Video Home System) format is introduced, giving consumers the ability to record, rent, and watch movies at home, leading to the rise of video rental stores in the 1980s.
  • 1960s – FM Radio Gains Popularity
    FM radio gains traction as a medium for music and news, offering improved sound quality over AM radio.
  • 1965 – Satellite Television Broadcasts
    The introduction of satellite TV broadcasts broadens access to television content, expanding beyond the limitations of terrestrial TV signals.
  • 1976 – VHS Tapes and Home Video Recording
    The VHS format is widely adopted, allowing consumers to record and watch television programming at home.
  • 1983 – First Mobile Phone (Motorola DynaTAC)
    The Motorola DynaTAC becomes the first mobile phone, marking the beginning of the mobile communication era. It is large and bulky but sets the foundation for the future of mobile devices.
  • 1992 – First Text Message Sent (SMS)
    The first SMS (Short Message Service) text message is sent, launching a new form of communication. Texting becomes a vital part of modern mobile communication.
  • 1997 – DVD Players Introduced
    DVD players replace VHS, providing superior video quality and additional features like scene selection and bonus content.
  • 1998 – First HDTV Broadcasts in the U.S.
    The first HDTV (High Definition Television) broadcasts are made available in the U.S., offering higher resolution (1080p or 720p) and better picture quality than standard-definition TV. This marks the beginning of the transition to high-definition television for consumers.
  • 1999 – MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service)
    The MMS format is introduced, enabling users to send multimedia messages (photos, videos, and audio) alongside text on mobile phones.
  • 2004 – Facebook Launched
    Facebook is launched by Mark Zuckerberg and co-founders, revolutionizing social networking by connecting people around the world through online profiles, friends, and updates.
  • 2007 – iPhone Released
    Apple introduces the iPhone, combining mobile communication, internet browsing, a music player, and a touchscreen interface in one device. This marks the beginning of the smartphone era, changing how people interact with technology.
  • 2008 – Android OS Released
    Google releases the Android operating system for smartphones, providing an open-source alternative to Apple's iOS and leading to the widespread adoption of smartphones worldwide.
  • 2009 – Digital Transition in the U.S. (Analog to Digital TV)
    The United States mandates the transition from analog to digital television broadcasting, allowing for better picture quality, more channels, and the introduction of HDTV on a larger scale.
  • 2010 – Instagram Launched
    Instagram is founded as a photo-sharing platform, and quickly grows to become one of the most popular social media platforms in the world, shaping visual social media trends.
  • 2012 – Widespread Availability of HDTV Sets
    HDTVs become widely available and affordable for consumers, with a significant increase in sales, pushing standard-definition TVs out of the market.
  • 2016 – TikTok Launched
    TikTok is released, focusing on short-form video content and virality, making it one of the fastest-growing social media platforms and transforming content creation.
  • 2017 – 4K TV Released
    4K TVs are introduced, offering ultra-high-definition viewing with four times the resolution of Full HD (1080p), setting new standards in home entertainment quality.
  • 2018 – "Bandersnatch" Interactive TV Show
    The interactive TV show "Black Mirror: Bandersnatch" is released, allowing viewers to make choices that affect the storyline, signaling the rise of interactive television experiences.
  • 2019 – Disney+ Launched
    Disney+, a streaming service offering content from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic, disrupts traditional cable television and further accelerates the growth of streaming platforms.
  • 2020 – 5G Networks Launched
    The rollout of 5G mobile networks begins, providing faster data speeds, lower latency, and enabling advanced technologies like augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR).
  • 2020s – 8K TV Released
    The 8K resolution TV is introduced, providing a resolution four times sharper than 4K, pushing the limits of home entertainment and setting the stage for future developments in display technology.
  • 2020s – Voice Assistants Integrated into Smart TVs
    Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri are integrated into Smart TVs, allowing viewers to control their television experience through voice commands, marking a major leap in convenience.
 
donbosco said:

Timeline of Technological Innovations​

  • 1906 – First Audio Radio Transmission
    Reginald Fessenden successfully transmits the first audio radio transmission, laying the foundation for public radio broadcasts.

  • 1920 – First Commercial Radio Station
    KDKA in Pittsburgh begins broadcasting, marking the start of commercial radio.

  • 1927 – First Electronic Television Image
    Philo Farnsworth transmits the first electronic television image, paving the way for modern TV.

  • 1939 – First Public TV Broadcast
    The first public television broadcast in the U.S. introduces television as a new medium of entertainment and communication.

  • 1954 – First Color TV Broadcast
    NBC launches the first color TV broadcast, transitioning from black-and-white to color television.

  • 1956 – VHS Tapes Introduced
    The VHS (Video Home System) format is introduced, allowing consumers to record TV shows and movies, and rent movies.

  • 1960s – FM Radio Gains Popularity
    FM radio becomes a popular medium for music and news, offering higher sound quality compared to AM radio.

  • 1965 – Satellite Television Broadcasts
    The first satellite television broadcasts begin, expanding the reach of TV beyond terrestrial signals.

  • 1976 – VHS Tapes and Home Video Recording
    The VHS format becomes widely available, providing a new way for consumers to record and watch movies at home.

  • 1983 – First Mobile Phone (Motorola DynaTAC)
    Motorola introduces the first mobile phone, the DynaTAC, making cellular communication possible.

  • 1992 – First Text Message Sent
    The first SMS (Short Message Service) text message is sent, marking the beginning of text-based mobile communication.

  • 1997 – DVD Players Introduced
    DVD players replace VHS tapes, offering superior video and sound quality, as well as additional features like scene selection and subtitles.

  • 1999 – MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service)
    The MMS format is introduced, allowing users to send multimedia messages (photos, video, audio) via mobile phones.

  • 2004 – Facebook Launched
    Facebook is launched, becoming one of the first major social media platforms and revolutionizing social networking.

  • 2007 – iPhone Released
    The iPhone is released, combining mobile communication, internet browsing, a music player, and a touchscreen interface in one device, changing the mobile phone landscape.

  • 2008 – Android OS Released
    Android is launched, creating a major competitor to the iPhone and leading to the widespread use of smartphones globally.

  • 2010 – Instagram Launched
    Instagram is founded, providing a platform for sharing photos and videos, and rapidly growing into a major social media platform.

  • 2016 – TikTok Launched
    TikTok is launched, bringing short-form video content and viral trends to the forefront of social media and reshaping how content is consumed.

  • 2017 – 4K TV Released
    4K resolution televisions are introduced, offering ultra-high-definition video quality for home entertainment.

  • 2018 – "Bandersnatch" Interactive TV Show
    The interactive TV show "Black Mirror: Bandersnatch" is released, allowing viewers to make decisions that affect the story’s outcome.

  • 2020 – 5G Networks Launched
    5G mobile networks begin rolling out, providing faster data speeds and enabling new technologies like AR (Augmented Reality) and VR (Virtual Reality) in mobile devices.

  • 2020s – 8K TV Released
    8K TVs are introduced, providing four times the resolution of 4K and pushing the boundaries of home viewing quality.

  • 2020s – Voice Assistants Integrated into Smart TVs
    Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri are integrated into Smart TVs, allowing users to control their television experience using voice commands.


  • This was created with free ChatGPT (https://chatgpt.com/) with several adjustments/new commands to focus the production working to make the list more specific. I have not checked it for accuracy.
  • Anything to add -- What's missing? Quarrels with the list or the information attached?
Click to expand...
I have always been curious about what it was like for a person who grew up in the 19th century then experienced the rapid changes that occurred during the early and mid 20th century.

But on the other hand the rise of the Internet taught me exactly what it would have been like. It starts slowly and it is just a new cool thing. It is only looking back after one or two decades that you realized that the new cool thing actually caused a major shift in everyday life. It was dialup internet at first (except in the office) and cool I can now see football scores without waiting for them to scroll on ESPN, to I can actually talk about the games, to I can actually watch the games on the Internet, to now I can watch them on a handheld device that is always connected to the internet, to now we all spend our days staring at this little device.

I would say the only thing that sort of happened overnight was the atomic bomb. Most people had no idea it was possible and then overnight it was clear that that was going to change the world, mostly for the worst. But that wasn’t something that would change your daily life but once Russia got it it was clear that it could end the world.

On another note, I sometimes pretend I am introducing someone from the 19th century to the modern world. It is a weird thing I do.
 
On TV, I grew up thinking that TV didn’t show up until the late ‘40s or very early ‘50s. Part of it was because my grandparents were poor farmers and didn’t get TV until at least the mid ‘50s.

It was only later that I realized why I didn’t know about TV in the ‘30s and ‘40s. For the most part almost all broadcast was lost immediately. The technology to record it was very primitive until the ‘50s came along. Almost everything before was live.

I believe I Love Lucy was filmed and replayed so that was when we started getting archives of TV. Desilu was way ahead of its time planning for syndication before it was a thing. There is only very limited archives of TV from the ‘40s.
 
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I’d probably rewrite that list entirely to focus on systems and foundational tech rather than devices. Also would include things like MRIs and Gene editing, the mapping of the genome, radio astronomy, etc. DARPA’s creation of the nascent internet is a huge one.

My uncle was called home from WWII in Europe in 1944 when my grandfather died, as he had to assume head of household and run the family farm. He died in 2001. I once asked him what he thought was the most consequential technological change he’d witnessed, and he said rural electrification, without question. This was a New Deal program that begin in the late 30s.
 
So what's the deal with the VHS entries? Is that a misprint? When I first read through it and it's 1956 I was really surprised. I know recording data on magnetic tape wasn't that far off from that date.

1976 fits my notion of the timeline much better. I remember my family getting a VCR in the 80s and it being a big deal. And of course it was betamax.
 
ChapelHillSooner said:
. . .. I would say the only thing that sort of happened overnight was the atomic bomb. Most people had no idea it was possible and then overnight it was clear that that was going to change the world, mostly for the worst. But that wasn’t something that would change your daily life but once Russia got it it was clear that it could end the world. . . ..
Click to expand...
Back when they were stiil around, I used to really enjoy asking people who were alive during the two drops on Japan what they thought about the atomic bomb. Two stories.

1) From a B-29 pilot stationed on Guam, not Tinian, in August 1945. He said he had not a hint there anything special going on at Tinian. The first he knew about the atomic bomb was when he was brought into a briefing room and shown photographs of the damage the bomb caused. He was told it was all caused by one bomb. He said, after the briefing, the consensus among the B-29 pilots was that this was all just a psychological test to see how people would react to the end of the war and the photos they were shown where from a massive conventional air raid. He said it took a couple of days for the pilots to believe it was all real.

2. I heard this story from a guy who worked at Oak Ridge during WW2. When building Oak Ridge, because most able bodied men were in uniform, they had to dig pretty deep into the East Tennessee hills to get construction laborers. One old man at the end of his first day at work informed his foreman that he did not expect to get paid for the day because he was quitting and wasn't coming back. When asked why he was quitting the best paying job he had ever had in his life, the old hillbilly said, "I don't know what you boys are doing and I don't want to know. But you're building walls of steel reinforced concrete that are ten feet thick. Now that is either to keep something in or keep something out. And whatever that something is, I don't want to be here when it gets here."
 
05C40 said:
Back when they were stiil around, I used to really enjoy asking people who were alive during the two drops on Japan what they thought about the atomic bomb. Two stories.

1) From a B-29 pilot stationed on Guam, not Tinian, in August 1945. He said he had not a hint there anything special going on at Tinian. The first he knew about the atomic bomb was when he was brought into a briefing room and shown photographs of the damage the bomb caused. He was told it was all caused by one bomb. He said, after the briefing, the consensus among the B-29 pilots was that this was all just a psychological test to see how people would react to the end of the war and the photos they were shown where from a massive conventional air raid. He said it took a couple of days for the pilots to believe it was all real.

2. I heard this story from a guy who worked at Oak Ridge during WW2. When building Oak Ridge, because most able bodied men were in uniform, they had to dig pretty deep into the East Tennessee hills to get construction laborers. One old man at the end of his first day at work informed his foreman that he did not expect to get paid for the day because he was quitting and wasn't coming back. When asked why he was quitting the best paying job he had ever had in his life, the old hillbilly said, "I don't know what you boys are doing and I don't want to know. But you're building walls of steel reinforced concrete that are ten feet thick. Now that is either to keep something in or keep something out. And whatever that something is, I don't want to be here when it gets here."
Click to expand...
Love those stories. It was said that 99% of the people who worked at Oak Ridge had no clue what they were working on. They just knew that the trains came in with supplies but never left with anything.
 
Geisterfahrer said:
I’d probably rewrite that list entirely to focus on systems and foundational tech rather than devices. Also would include things like MRIs and Gene editing, the mapping of the genome, radio astronomy, etc. DARPA’s creation of the nascent internet is a huge one.

My uncle was called home from WWII in Europe in 1944 when my grandfather died, as he had to assume head of household and run the family farm. He died in 2001. I once asked him what he thought was the most consequential technological change he’d witnessed, and he said rural electrification, without question. This was a New Deal program that begin in the late 30s.
Click to expand...
I noticed that it was focused almost entirely on communication and somehow missed the Internet and the WWW.
 
  • 1906 – First Audio Radio Transmission
    Reginald Fessenden makes the first successful audio radio transmission, marking the beginning of modern radio broadcasting.
  • 1920 – First Commercial Radio Station
    KDKA in Pittsburgh becomes the first commercial radio station, beginning regular broadcasts of news, music, and entertainment.
  • 1927 – First Electronic Television Image
    Philo Farnsworth transmits the first electronic television image, marking a key milestone in the development of modern television technology.
  • 1939 – First Public Television Broadcast
    The first public television broadcast in the U.S. introduces the general public to television as a new form of mass communication and entertainment.
  • 1954 – First Color TV Broadcast
    NBC launches the first color TV broadcast, transitioning from black-and-white TV to color, revolutionizing the viewing experience for the audience.
  • 1956 – VHS Tapes Introduced
    VHS (Video Home System) format is introduced, giving consumers the ability to record, rent, and watch movies at home, leading to the rise of video rental stores in the 1980s.
  • 1960s – FM Radio Gains Popularity
    FM radio gains traction as a medium for music and news, offering improved sound quality over AM radio.
  • 1965 – Satellite Television Broadcasts
    The introduction of satellite TV broadcasts broadens access to television content, expanding beyond the limitations of terrestrial TV signals.
  • 1969– ARPANET: The Birth of the Internet
    The U.S. Department of Defense launches ARPANET, the first operational packet-switching network and the precursor to the modern Internet.
  • 1976 – VHS Tapes and Home Video Recording
    The VHS format is widely adopted, allowing consumers to record and watch television programming at home.
  • 1983 – First Mobile Phone (Motorola DynaTAC)
    The Motorola DynaTAC becomes the first mobile phone, marking the beginning of the mobile communication era. It is large and bulky but sets the foundation for the future of mobile devices.
  • 1989 – World Wide Web Proposed
    Tim Berners-Lee proposes the World Wide Web, a system of interlinked hypertext documents accessed via the Internet.
  • 1991 – World Wide Web Launched to Public
    The World Wide Web becomes publicly accessible, revolutionizing how people access, share, and interact with information.
  • 1992 – First Text Message Sent (SMS)
    The first SMS (Short Message Service) text message is sent, launching a new form of communication. Texting becomes a vital part of modern mobile communication.
  • 1997 – DVD Players Introduced
    DVD players replace VHS, providing superior video quality and additional features like scene selection and bonus content.
  • 1998 – First HDTV Broadcasts in the U.S.
    The first HDTV (High Definition Television) broadcasts are made available in the U.S., offering higher resolution (1080p or 720p) and better picture quality than standard-definition TV. This marks the beginning of the transition to high-definition television for consumers.
  • 1999 – MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service)
    The MMS format is introduced, enabling users to send multimedia messages (photos, videos, and audio) alongside text on mobile phones.
  • 2004 – Facebook Launched
    Facebook is launched by Mark Zuckerberg and co-founders, revolutionizing social networking by connecting people around the world through online profiles, friends, and updates.
  • 2007 – iPhone Released
    Apple introduces the iPhone, combining mobile communication, internet browsing, a music player, and a touchscreen interface in one device. This marks the beginning of the smartphone era, changing how people interact with technology.
  • 2008 – Android OS Released
    Google releases the Android operating system for smartphones, providing an open-source alternative to Apple's iOS and leading to the widespread adoption of smartphones worldwide.
  • 2009 – Digital Transition in the U.S. (Analog to Digital TV)
    The United States mandates the transition from analog to digital television broadcasting, allowing for better picture quality, more channels, and the introduction of HDTV on a larger scale.
  • 2010 – Instagram Launched
    Instagram is founded as a photo-sharing platform, and quickly grows to become one of the most popular social media platforms in the world, shaping visual social media trends.
  • 2012 – Widespread Availability of HDTV Sets
    HDTVs become widely available and affordable for consumers, with a significant increase in sales, pushing standard-definition TVs out of the market.
  • 2016 – TikTok Launched
    TikTok is released, focusing on short-form video content and virality, making it one of the fastest-growing social media platforms and transforming content creation.
  • 2017 – 4K TV Released
    4K TVs are introduced, offering ultra-high-definition viewing with four times the resolution of Full HD (1080p), setting new standards in home entertainment quality.
  • 2018 – "Bandersnatch" Interactive TV Show
    The interactive TV show "Black Mirror: Bandersnatch" is released, allowing viewers to make choices that affect the storyline, signaling the rise of interactive television experiences.
  • 2019 – Disney+ Launched
    Disney+, a streaming service offering content from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic, disrupts traditional cable television and further accelerates the growth of streaming platforms.
  • 2020 – 5G Networks Launched
    The rollout of 5G mobile networks begins, providing faster data speeds, lower latency, and enabling advanced technologies like augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR).
  • 2020s – 8K TV Released
    The 8K resolution TV is introduced, providing a resolution four times sharper than 4K, pushing the limits of home entertainment and setting the stage for future developments in display technology.
  • 2020s – Voice Assistants Integrated into Smart TVs
    Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri are integrated into Smart TVs, allowing viewers to control their television experience through voice commands, marking a major leap in convenience.


ChatGPT is pretty stupid all in all...ARPANET and World Wide Web have been added now but it needed a prompt. @Geisterfahrer, the "command" was essentially to compile a chronological list of "key technological innovations that have transformed the ways we communicate, consume entertainment, and interact with media."
 
Ah ok - then it did all right with that initial prompt but for missing the whole internet. :)

The thing with the AIs right now is you often have to iterate a lot to get anything useful. If you keep grinding on what kind of list/timeline you really want, it will keep giving you better versions. They are getting better very fast. And it’s easy to see a lot of utility when you pair and train them on proprietary data that they don’t crawl on the open web.
 
Did I miss cd, DVDs and Blu-ray?

Are you focusing on communications?

There are lots of interesting inventions that made these possible.
 
Geisterfahrer said:
Ah ok - then it did all right with that initial prompt but for missing the whole internet. :)

The thing with the AIs right now is you often have to iterate a lot to get anything useful. If you keep grinding on what kind of list/timeline you really want, it will keep giving you better versions. They are getting better very fast. And it’s easy to see a lot of utility when you pair and train them on proprietary data that they don’t crawl on the open web.
Click to expand...
Agreed. Most of the things I use AI to help with take multiple iterations.
 
As a kid in the late 1960’s and the 1970’s, I’d often walk from Bowman Gray Pool to my Dad’s lab on campus before basketball games. After afternoon swim practice (and, yes, I’d been at practice that morning).

In Dad’s lab, I could play “Star Trek” (good guys v. the Klingons) on a Teletype machine accessing computers at Goddard Space Center (which is between DC and Baltimore).

I’d type in my command……and WAIT and WAIT and WAIT……and WAIT some more.

Then, the response and result would type out on paper……loud as shit.

That it responded was exciting and fascinating as hell.
 
CDs, DVDs, and Video Games Added

1906 – First Audio Radio Transmission
Reginald Fessenden makes the first successful audio radio transmission, marking the beginning of modern radio broadcasting.
1920 – First Commercial Radio Station
KDKA in Pittsburgh becomes the first commercial radio station, beginning regular broadcasts of news, music, and entertainment.
1927 – First Electronic Television Image
Philo Farnsworth transmits the first electronic television image, marking a key milestone in the development of modern television technology.
1939 – First Public Television Broadcast
The first public television broadcast in the U.S. introduces the general public to television as a new form of mass communication and entertainment.
1954 – First Color TV Broadcast
NBC launches the first color TV broadcast, transitioning from black-and-white TV to color, revolutionizing the viewing experience for the audience.
1956 – VHS Tapes Introduced
VHS (Video Home System) format is introduced, giving consumers the ability to record, rent, and watch movies at home, leading to the rise of video rental stores in the 1980s.
1960s – FM Radio Gains Popularity
FM radio gains traction as a medium for music and news, offering improved sound quality over AM radio.
1965 – Satellite Television Broadcasts
The introduction of satellite TV broadcasts broadens access to television content, expanding beyond the limitations of terrestrial TV signals.
1967 – First Home Video Game (Brown Box Prototype)
Ralph Baer develops the "Brown Box," the first home video game console prototype, which would later become the Magnavox Odyssey.
1969– ARPANET: The Birth of the Internet
The U.S. Department of Defense launches ARPANET, the first operational packet-switching network and the precursor to the modern Internet.
1972 – Pong Released
Atari releases Pong, one of the first commercially successful video games, helping launch the video game industry.
1976 – VHS Tapes and Home Video Recording
The VHS format is widely adopted, allowing consumers to record and watch television programming at home.
1982 – Compact Discs (CDs) Released
CDs become the new standard for digital music storage and playback, offering improved audio fidelity over analog formats like vinyl and cassette tapes.
1983 – First Mobile Phone (Motorola DynaTAC)
The Motorola DynaTAC becomes the first mobile phone, marking the beginning of the mobile communication era. It is large and bulky but sets the foundation for the future of mobile devices.
1985 – Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) Released in the U.S.
The NES revives the video game market in North America and becomes a cultural and technological milestone in home entertainment.
1989 – World Wide Web Proposed
Tim Berners-Lee proposes the World Wide Web, a system of interlinked hypertext documents accessed via the Internet.
1990 – First Web Browser Developed (WorldWideWeb)
Tim Berners-Lee creates WorldWideWeb, the first web browser (later renamed Nexus). It allowed users to view and navigate web pages via hyperlinks.
1991 – World Wide Web Launched to Public
The World Wide Web becomes publicly accessible, revolutionizing how people access, share, and interact with information.
1992 – First Text Message Sent (SMS)
The first SMS (Short Message Service) text message is sent, launching a new form of communication. Texting becomes a vital part of modern mobile communication.
1995 – PlayStation Released in the U.S.
Sony launches the PlayStation, introducing CD-based gaming to mainstream audiences and reshaping the gaming industry.
1996 – DVDs Introduced
Digital Versatile Discs (DVDs) are introduced, offering greater storage capacity than CDs and becoming the standard format for movies and software.
1997 – DVD Players Introduced
DVD players replace VHS, providing superior video quality and additional features like scene selection and bonus content.
1997 – DVD Players Introduced
DVD players replace VHS, providing superior video quality and additional features like scene selection and bonus content.
1998 – First HDTV Broadcasts in the U.S.
The first HDTV (High Definition Television) broadcasts are made available in the U.S., offering higher resolution (1080p or 720p) and better picture quality than standard-definition TV. This marks the beginning of the transition to high-definition television for consumers.
1999 – MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service)
The MMS format is introduced, enabling users to send multimedia messages (photos, videos, and audio) alongside text on mobile phones.
2004 – Facebook Launched
Facebook is launched by Mark Zuckerberg and co-founders, revolutionizing social networking by connecting people around the world through online profiles, friends, and updates.
2006 – Nintendo Wii Released
The Wii introduces motion-controlled gaming, expanding the appeal of video games to wider age groups and families.
2007 – iPhone Released
Apple introduces the iPhone, combining mobile communication, internet browsing, a music player, and a touchscreen interface in one device. This marks the beginning of the smartphone era, changing how people interact with technology.
2008 – Android OS Released
Google releases the Android operating system for smartphones, providing an open-source alternative to Apple's iOS and leading to the widespread adoption of smartphones worldwide.
2009 – Digital Transition in the U.S. (Analog to Digital TV)
The United States mandates the transition from analog to digital television broadcasting, allowing for better picture quality, more channels, and the introduction of HDTV on a larger scale.
2010 – Instagram Launched
Instagram is founded as a photo-sharing platform, and quickly grows to become one of the most popular social media platforms in the world, shaping visual social media trends.
2012 – Widespread Availability of HDTV Sets
HDTVs become widely available and affordable for consumers, with a significant increase in sales, pushing standard-definition TVs out of the market.
2013 – PlayStation 4 and Xbox One Released
These next-generation consoles push gaming to higher graphical fidelity, online connectivity, and media integration.
2016 – TikTok Launched
TikTok is released, focusing on short-form video content and virality, making it one of the fastest-growing social media platforms and transforming content creation.
2017 – 4K TV Released
4K TVs are introduced, offering ultra-high-definition viewing with four times the resolution of Full HD (1080p), setting new standards in home entertainment quality.
2018 – "Bandersnatch" Interactive TV Show
The interactive TV show "Black Mirror: Bandersnatch" is released, allowing viewers to make choices that affect the storyline, signaling the rise of interactive television experiences.
2019 – Disney+ Launched
Disney+, a streaming service offering content from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic, disrupts traditional cable television and further accelerates the growth of streaming platforms.
2020 – 5G Networks Launched
The rollout of 5G mobile networks begins, providing faster data speeds, lower latency, and enabling advanced technologies like augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR).
2020s – 8K TV Released
The 8K resolution TV is introduced, providing a resolution four times sharper than 4K, pushing the limits of home entertainment and setting the stage for future developments in display technology.
2020s – Voice Assistants Integrated into Smart TVs
Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri are integrated into Smart TVs, allowing viewers to control their television experience through voice commands, marking a major leap in convenience.
 
ChapelHillSooner said:
. . .. I would say the only thing that sort of happened overnight was the atomic bomb. Most people had no idea it was possible and then overnight it was clear that that was going to change the world, mostly for the worst. But that wasn’t something that would change your daily life but once Russia got it it was clear that it could end the world. . . ..
Click to expand...
Back when they were stiil around, I used to really enjoy asking people who were alive during the two drops on Japan what they thought about the atomic bomb. Two stories.

1) From a B-29 pilot stationed on Guam, not Tinian, in August 1945. He said he had not a hint there anything special going on at Tinian. The first he knew about the atomic bomb was when he was brought into a briefing room and shown photographs of the damage the bomb caused. He was told it was all caused by one bomb. He said, after the briefing, the consensus among the B-29 pilots was that this was all just a psychological test to see how people would react to the end of the war and the photos they were shown where from a massive conventional air raid. He said it took a couple of days for the pilots to believe it was all real.

2. I heard this story from a guy who worked at Oak Ridge during WW2. When building Oak Ridge, because most able bodied men were in uniform, they had to dig pretty deep into the East Tennessee hills to get construction laborers. One old man at the end of his first day at work informed his foreman that he did expect to get paid for the day because he was quitting and wasn't coming back. When asked why he was quitting the best paying job he had ever had in his life, the old hillbilly said, "I don't know what you boys are doing and I don't want to know.But you're building walls of steel reinforced concrete that are ten feet thick. Now that is either to keep something in or keep something out. And whatever that something is, I don't want to be here when it gets here.
 
Zoo_View said:
As a kid in the late 1960’s and the 1970’s, I’d often walk from Bowman Gray Pool to my Dad’s lab on campus before basketball games. After afternoon swim practice (and, yes, I’d been at practice that morning).

In Dad’s lab, I could play “Star Trek” (good guys v. the Klingons) on a Teletype machine accessing computers at Goddard Space Center (which is between DC and Baltimore).

I’d type in my command……and WAIT and WAIT and WAIT……and WAIT some more.

Then, the response and result would type out on paper……loud as shit.

That it responded was exciting and fascinating as hell.
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The very first computer game I every played was Lunar Lander. I had data on fuel, height above the Lunar surface, and descent speed. I could control the fuel burn rate. The object was to slow the lander down enough with fuel burns to land slow enough without running out of fuel. This was an old insurance mainframe computer located in Cameron Village in Raleigh that ten county school districts in NC had gone together on and purchased. Each school got one teletype terminal. At my high school, a retired Marine machanic who was the autoshop teacher had taken a summer course in Basic and BII. He taught a no-credit, one semester programming course during his planning period. The students who had study hall that coincided with his planning period could sign-up for the course. It was great. The autoshop/computer-programming teacher was a high-school drop-out who retired from the USMC as a Master Gunnery Sergeant. One of the best teachers I have ever had. The one teletype terminal we had was located in the vestibule of the guidance counselors' office.
 
ChatGPT had interestingly omitted itself and other "Deep Learning" [ChatGPT's own term] from the list...I have also asked it to go back to the first use of the Telegraph and go forward in time from there...

1844 – First Telegraph Message Sent
Samuel Morse sends “What hath God wrought?” via telegraph from Washington, D.C., to Baltimore — the birth of long-distance electronic communication.
1876 – Telephone Invented
Alexander Graham Bell successfully transmits speech, revolutionizing personal and business communication.
1895 – First Public Radio Transmission
Guglielmo Marconi demonstrates wireless telegraphy over long distances.
1906 – First Audio Radio Transmission
Reginald Fessenden makes the first successful audio radio transmission, marking the beginning of modern radio broadcasting.
1920 – First Commercial Radio Station
KDKA in Pittsburgh becomes the first commercial radio station, beginning regular broadcasts of news, music, and entertainment.
1927 – First Electronic Television Image
Philo Farnsworth transmits the first electronic television image, marking a key milestone in the development of modern television technology.
1939 – First Public Television Broadcast
The first public television broadcast in the U.S. introduces the general public to television as a new form of mass communication and entertainment.
1954 – First Color TV Broadcast
NBC launches the first color TV broadcast, transitioning from black-and-white TV to color, revolutionizing the viewing experience for the audience.
1956 – VHS Tapes Introduced
VHS (Video Home System) format is introduced, giving consumers the ability to record, rent, and watch movies at home, leading to the rise of video rental stores in the 1980s.
1960s – FM Radio Gains Popularity
FM radio gains traction as a medium for music and news, offering improved sound quality over AM radio.
1965 – Satellite Television Broadcasts
The introduction of satellite TV broadcasts broadens access to television content, expanding beyond the limitations of terrestrial TV signals.
1967 – First Home Video Game (Brown Box Prototype)
Ralph Baer develops the "Brown Box," the first home video game console prototype, which would later become the Magnavox Odyssey.
1969– ARPANET: The Birth of the Internet
The U.S. Department of Defense launches ARPANET, the first operational packet-switching network and the precursor to the modern Internet.
1972 – Pong Released
Atari releases Pong, one of the first commercially successful video games, helping launch the video game industry.
1976 – VHS Tapes and Home Video Recording
The VHS format is widely adopted, allowing consumers to record and watch television programming at home.
1982 – Compact Discs (CDs) Released
CDs become the new standard for digital music storage and playback, offering improved audio fidelity over analog formats like vinyl and cassette tapes.
1983 – First Mobile Phone (Motorola DynaTAC)
The Motorola DynaTAC becomes the first mobile phone, marking the beginning of the mobile communication era. It is large and bulky but sets the foundation for the future of mobile devices.
1985 – Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) Released in the U.S.
The NES revives the video game market in North America and becomes a cultural and technological milestone in home entertainment.
1989 – World Wide Web Proposed
Tim Berners-Lee proposes the World Wide Web, a system of interlinked hypertext documents accessed via the Internet.
1990 – First Web Browser Developed (WorldWideWeb)
Tim Berners-Lee creates WorldWideWeb, the first web browser (later renamed Nexus). It allowed users to view and navigate web pages via hyperlinks.
1991 – World Wide Web Launched to Public
The World Wide Web becomes publicly accessible, revolutionizing how people access, share, and interact with information.
1992 – First Text Message Sent (SMS)
The first SMS (Short Message Service) text message is sent, launching a new form of communication. Texting becomes a vital part of modern mobile communication.
1995 – PlayStation Released in the U.S.
Sony launches the PlayStation, introducing CD-based gaming to mainstream audiences and reshaping the gaming industry.
1996 – DVDs Introduced
Digital Versatile Discs (DVDs) are introduced, offering greater storage capacity than CDs and becoming the standard format for movies and software.
1997 – DVD Players Introduced
DVD players replace VHS, providing superior video quality and additional features like scene selection and bonus content.
1997 – DVD Players Introduced
DVD players replace VHS, providing superior video quality and additional features like scene selection and bonus content.
1998 – First HDTV Broadcasts in the U.S.
The first HDTV (High Definition Television) broadcasts are made available in the U.S., offering higher resolution (1080p or 720p) and better picture quality than standard-definition TV. This marks the beginning of the transition to high-definition television for consumers.
1999 – MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service)
The MMS format is introduced, enabling users to send multimedia messages (photos, videos, and audio) alongside text on mobile phones.
2004 – Facebook Launched
Facebook is launched by Mark Zuckerberg and co-founders, revolutionizing social networking by connecting people around the world through online profiles, friends, and updates.
2006 – Nintendo Wii Released
The Wii introduces motion-controlled gaming, expanding the appeal of video games to wider age groups and families.
2007 – iPhone Released
Apple introduces the iPhone, combining mobile communication, internet browsing, a music player, and a touchscreen interface in one device. This marks the beginning of the smartphone era, changing how people interact with technology.
2008 – Android OS Released
Google releases the Android operating system for smartphones, providing an open-source alternative to Apple's iOS and leading to the widespread adoption of smartphones worldwide.
2009 – Digital Transition in the U.S. (Analog to Digital TV)
The United States mandates the transition from analog to digital television broadcasting, allowing for better picture quality, more channels, and the introduction of HDTV on a larger scale.
2010 – Instagram Launched
Instagram is founded as a photo-sharing platform, and quickly grows to become one of the most popular social media platforms in the world, shaping visual social media trends.
2012 – Widespread Availability of HDTV Sets
HDTVs become widely available and affordable for consumers, with a significant increase in sales, pushing standard-definition TVs out of the market.
2012 – Breakthrough in Deep Learning
Researchers at the University of Toronto develop a deep neural network called AlexNet, which wins the ImageNet competition. This moment marks a turning point in AI research, triggering rapid advances in machine learning, computer vision, and natural language processing.
2013 – PlayStation 4 and Xbox One Released
These next-generation consoles push gaming to higher graphical fidelity, online connectivity, and media integration.
2016 – TikTok Launched
TikTok is released, focusing on short-form video content and virality, making it one of the fastest-growing social media platforms and transforming content creation.
2017 – 4K TV Released
4K TVs are introduced, offering ultra-high-definition viewing with four times the resolution of Full HD (1080p), setting new standards in home entertainment quality.
2018 – GPT-2 Announced by OpenAI
OpenAI introduces GPT-2, a large language model capable of generating coherent and convincing human-like text, demonstrating the potential of transformer-based AI.
2018 – "Bandersnatch" Interactive TV Show
The interactive TV show "Black Mirror: Bandersnatch" is released, allowing viewers to make choices that affect the storyline, signaling the rise of interactive television experiences.
2019 – Disney+ Launched
Disney+, a streaming service offering content from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic, disrupts traditional cable television and further accelerates the growth of streaming platforms.
2020 – GPT-3 Released by OpenAI
OpenAI releases GPT-3, a massive improvement over previous models, capable of translation, summarization, coding, and conversation — widely recognized as a major milestone in AI usability and capability.
2020 – 5G Networks Launched
The rollout of 5G mobile networks begins, providing faster data speeds, lower latency, and enabling advanced technologies like augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR).
2020s – 8K TV Released
The 8K resolution TV is introduced, providing a resolution four times sharper than 4K, pushing the limits of home entertainment and setting the stage for future developments in display technology.
2020s – Voice Assistants Integrated into Smart TVs
Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri are integrated into Smart TVs, allowing viewers to control their television experience through voice commands, marking a major leap in convenience.
2022 – ChatGPT Launched (OpenAI)
OpenAI launches ChatGPT, bringing conversational AI to the public in a widely accessible interface. It quickly becomes one of the fastest-growing web applications in history, transforming education, writing, programming, and customer support.
2023–2024 – AI Integrated into Everyday Tools
AI features like ChatGPT, DALL·E, and Copilot are embedded into popular tools such as Microsoft Office, Google Search, and creative platforms, making generative AI mainstream.
 
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