Throughout time, certain technologies have transformed the way people live, interact, and function. Take a look at this brief timeline of technological advances.
First Tools (3.3 million years ago): The first technology is from the Stone Age, when people made knives, hammers, anvils, and other tools out of rock.
Fire (1 million years ago): Although fire is as old as the earth, it is thought that man started using it between 1 million and 1.5 million years ago.
Irrigation (6,000 BCE): The invention of irrigation in the Tigris-Euphrates River Valley shows that people were organized socially. Irrigation requires a lot of work, and they had to work together.
Sailing (4,000 BCE): People first used sailing ships on the Nile River. They had oars to navigate the ships.
Gunpowder (850 BCE): The Chinese invented gunpowder as they were trying to create elixirs to extend life. They used it to propel an arrow. Gunpowder didn’t spread to Europe until the 13th century.
Compass (1044): The first compass was invented by the Chinese in 1044, and it is how people could find their way where they needed to go.
Mechanical Clock (1250 to 1300): In Europe, the first mechanical clocks appeared at this time. They were in cathedrals to let people know when services were.
Printing (1455): The first book printed in the west was the Bible, which made information accessible to many people.
Steam Engine (1765): James Watt added a condenser to turn steam into liquid water, and this improved the steam engine and paved the way for the Industrial Revolution.
Photography (1826 to 1827): Necephore Niepce made an eight-hour-long exposure of his house’s courtyard, which is the first photograph.
Telegraph (1844): Samuel Morse sent the first long-distance telegraph at this time.
Telephone (1876): Alexander Graham Bell made the first call.
Electric Light (1879): Thomas Edison invented the first light.
Automobile (1885): Karl Benz made a one-cylinder engine to power the first automobile.
Radio (1901): Guglielmo Marconi reported transmission over the radio.
Airplane (1901): Orville Wright made the first airplane flight.
Television (1927): Philo T. Farnsworth made the first electronic television transmission.
Computer (1937): John Atanasoff designed the first electronic digital computer.
Internet (1974): Vinton Cerf and Robert Khan produced the TCP/IP, which is the basis for data transmission over the Internet.
Artificial Intelligence (2017): AlphaGo made a game using AI.