A Timeline of the History of Inventions
2.6 million years ago – Stone tools, East Africa
500 thousand years ago – Controlled fire in East Africa
400 thousand years ago – Spears in Germany
28 thousand years ago – Ceramics in Moravia
8700 BC – Metalworking in Mesopotamia
5000 BC – Beer, Bread in Egypt
3500 BC – Wheel in Mesopotamia
2800 BC – Soap in Mesopotamia
2700 BC – Smelted Iron in northern Syria
2000 BC – Ink in China
1000 BC – Central Heating in Korea
250 BC – Lever in Greece
100 AD – Paper in China
300 AD – Horseshoes in Germany
618 AD – Porcelain in China
800 AD – Sugar refinery in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran
800 AD – Sundial in Baghdad
953 AD – Fountain Pen by Al-Muizz Lideenillah of Egypt
1021 – Magnifying Glass by Ibn al-Haytham
1028 – Mechanical Clock by Su Song of China
1260 – Explosive gun powder in Egypt
1450 – Printing Press by Johannes Gutenberg of Germany
1565 – Pencil by Conrad Gesner of Switzerland
1698 – Steam engine water powered pump by Thomas Savery of England
1779 – Spinning mule by Samuel Crompton of England
1802 – Electric arc by Vasily Petrov of Russia
1818 – Bicycle of Karl Drais of Germany
1822 – Photography by Joseph Nicéphore Niépce of France
1831 – Electric motor by Ányos Jedlik of Hungary
1837 – Camera zoom lens by Jozef Petzval of Hungary
1843 – Typewriter by Charles Thurber of USA
1859 – Oil drill by Edwin L. Drake of USA
1867 – Paper clip by Samuel B. Fay
1877 – Phonograph by Thomas Edison of USA
1885 – Motorcycle by Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach of Germany
1888 – Wind energy by Charles F. Brush of USA
1890 – Zipper by Whitcomb L. Judson of USA
1903 – Airplane by the Wright Brothers of USA
1927 – Light-Emitting Diode – Oleg Losev of Russia
1929 – Television, Paul Nipkow of Germany
1937 – Jet Engine by Frank Whittle of England and Hans von Ohain of Germany
1938 – Ballpoint pen by Laszlo Biro of Hungary
1941 – Computer by Konrad Zuse of Germany
1951 – Liquid paper by Bette Nesmith Graham of USA
1958 – Instant noodles by Momofuku Ando of Japan
1968 – Video game console by Ralph Baer of Germany/USA
1969 – Video cassette by Sony
1970 – Pocket calculator by Sanyo, Canon, Sharp
1974 – Rubik’s Cube by Ernö Rubik of Hungary
1979 – Walkman by Sony
1980 – Flash memory by Fujio Masuoka of Japan
1988 – Digital camera by Fuji
1996 – Universal Serial Bus (USB) by Compaq, DEC, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, NEC and Nortel
2011 – your idea here!
