Inventions that Changed the World Fact File: Inventions: Plow *** Irrigation *** Potters Wheel *** Flying Machines *** Wheel *** Car *** Railroads *** Telegraph *** Telephone *** World Wide Web *** Online shopping *** Writing *** Radio *** Television *** *** Inventions that Changed the World *** Inventions that Changed the World - Fire, Clothes, Tools and Weapons: The four greatest inventions that changed the world in the Stone Age were fire, clothes, tools and weapons the discovery and ability to harness the power of fire which provided warmth, a source of light at night and protection from dangerous animals. Stone weapons were used to hunt animals and stone tools were invented to make clothes. People moved from the hunter-gatherer lifestyle to a permanent farming societies that depended on good agricultural practices and the emergence of the great inventions that changed the world began. Inventions that Changed the World in Agriculture - The Plow: The advances, discoveries and inventions in relation to farming changed the world through the ages. The invention of the wooden plow c. 2300 BC resulted in a massive improvement to farming techniques and increasing food supplies. The wooden plow was later replaced by the iron-bladed plow invented by Jethro Wood and then the Steel Bladed Plow invented by John Deere.
Inventions that Changed the World in Agriculture - Irrigation: The invention of Irrigation c. 3000 BC by the Mesopotamians provided a system of watering crops using a network of man-made ditches and canals.
Inventions that Changed the World - The Potters Wheel: The invention of the Wheel by the Mesopotamians c.3500 BC resulted in the invention of the mechanical device known as the potter's wheel that increased the production of household items such as clay pots that suited a settled lifestyle. The invention of glass, ceramics and even Teflon improved our containers and utensils. Inventions that Changed the World in Transportation - The Wheel: The invention of the wheel had a massive impact on transportation starting with the chariot, the wheelbarrow, the cart and later the bicycle and of course the automobile. Inventions that Changed the World in Transportation - The Car: The invention of the First Gasoline Car credited to Karl Benz is in 1886 led to the introduction to the Ford Model T (1908) which, thanks to the invention of the Assembly Line by Ransom Olds (1901), gave the freedom of movement to countless people. Inventions that Changed the World in Transportation - Flying Machines: The idea of flying machines fascinated Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) who made sketches of an airplane, a helicopter and a light hang glider. The Montgolfier Brothers invented the Hot Air Balloon in 1783, George Cayley is credited with the first man-carrying glider flight in 1853, the Zeppelin Airship was invented by Count Ferdinand Zeppelin in 1900 and Orville and Wilbur Wright flew their first powered Airplane flight in 1903. Robert Hutchings Goddard invented the modern Rocket in 1926 and Igor Sikorsky invented the Helicopter in 1939. One of the latest flying machine inventions is the development of the pilot-less aircraft and the development of Drones. Inventions that Changed the World in Transportation - The Railroads: The invention of the Railroads began with the invention of the Steam Engine in 1769 followed by the Steam Locomotive in 1814. The underground railway or subway was invented in 1863 and the electric tram system followed in 1881. Diesel powered locomotives were introduced in 1913 and the 1960's saw the transition from steam trains to diesel-electric powered trains. Inventions that Changed the World in Communications - The Telegraph: Samuel Morse is credited with the invention of the Telegraph and Morse Code, with Alfred Vail, in 1838. The Morse 'land-line' telegraphic communication system carried signals across the land by lines supported by telegraph poles. The speedy implementation of the telegraph in the US was made possible by the construction of the railroad as the route for the telegraph poles had already been cleared. The invention of the telegraph enabled people to communicate quickly over vast distances. Inventions that Changed the World in Communications - The Telephone: The Scottish inventor Alexander Graham Bell is credited with the invention of the Telephone in 1876 making it possible to immediately communicate with people regardless of how far away they were. In 1973 Martin Cooper invented the Cell Phone, a small, portable wireless device making it possible for people to communicate wherever they were. The Smartphone was invented in 1992 and in the same year Matti Makkonen invented Texting. Inventions that Changed the World in Communications - The Computer: In 1837 Charles Babbage developed the idea of a Computer, a steam-driven calculating machine that would be able to compute tables of numbers. In 1890 Herman Hollerith designed a punch card system. In 1936 Alan Turing invented the electromechanical Turing Machine. machine. In 1958 Jack Kilby and Robert Noyce invented the integrated circuit, known as the computer chip. The first Internet, called ARPANET, was developed in 1969. Ray Tomlinson invented Email in 1971. The first Personal Computers were developed 1974-1977. Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs founded Apple Inc in 1976 and pioneered the Personal Computer and the iPad. Adam Osborne invented the Laptop in 1981. The English inventor Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web in 1991 and in 1998 Larry Page and Sergey Brin invented the Google search engine.
Inventions that Changed the World in Communications - The World Wide Web: The invention of the World Wide Web was made by Tim Berners-Lee in 1991 as a branch of the Internet. The World Wide Web consisted of a vast network of linked hypertext files providing a mass of text and multimedia material providing a Virtual Library of information and images with video, sound and animation resources. The facility to conduct Online shopping was made available in 1985. Inventions that Changed the World in Communications - Online shopping: Online shopping began in 1985 to a slow, hesitant start and caution in respect of instant buying. In 1995 Amazon was launched as an online bookstore which quickly expanded to include CD's, DVD'S and video games. EBay was launched in 1995 as a marketplace for the sale of goods by individuals as opposed to large retail companies. PayPal was introduced in 2002 and provided online shoppers with the confidence to pay online. Online shopping has really changed the world. We are now able to shop for food, clothes, appliances and practically anything else you can think of without even leaving our homes. Inventions that Changed the World in Communications - Writing: The invention of the Writing began c. 2900 BC by the ancient Mesopotamians who developed the first form of writing called "Cuneiform" using wedge shaped marks to make picture symbols on clay tablets. The invention of Papyrus was made c. 3000 BC by the Ancient Egyptians as an easily portable substance to write on. The ancient Chinese invention of Paper was made c. 100 BC using rags and other plant fibers to produce paper and the invention of Woodblock Printing, using engraved woodblocks to print letters and images, was made during the Han Dynasty (202 BC – AD 220). The invention of the Printing Press was made by Johannes Gutenberg in 1440 which opened the way for ordinary people to obtain books. Various pens and pencils were invented that enabled every educated person to write. Publishing books was an expensive process and generally enjoyed by the wealthy and elite. In 1971 all this changed with the invention of e-Books that allowed people to publish their own books at a fraction of the cost using a 'print on demand' system. Inventions that Changed the World in Communications - Radio and Television: The invention of the Radio was made in 1895 by the Italian inventor Guglielmo Marconi was a major invention that changed the world. The impact of the radio was massive allowing people to experience instant news in their own homes. The radio also provided a source of home entertainment for millions of people. The invention of the Television by John Logie Baird followed in 1928 and Philo Taylor Farnsworth pioneered the all-electronic television in 1938. Television is an important part of modern culture. List of Inventions that Changed the World: Inventions that Changed the World List: Plow *** Potters Wheel *** Flying Machines *** Car *** Irrigation *** Railroads *** Telegraph *** Telephone *** World Wide Web *** Writing *** Radio *** Television *** Wheel *** Online shopping *** Telegraph *** Inventions that Changed the World List *** | 
