Eras of Applying Discoveries 8-13-25

Over the past 200 years since 1825, we’ve witnessed the creative implementation of technologies discovered from the 1500s through the 1700s. 

In 1712, the first commercially successful steam engine was invented by Thomas Newcomen. 

In 1769, Steam engines were first used to power automobiles with by Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot.

 

In the 1800s, technologies introduced in the 1500s to 1700s were applied to a wide variety of issues.

In the 1820s, the Steam Engine was applied to power Railroad Engines

In the 1830s, the Steam Engine was applied to power Factories and Grain Mills..

In the 1830s, Magnified Glass was used in Microscopes to study bacteria.

In 1834, Refrigeration was invented to produce Ice Blocks used to preserve food.

In 1837, the electrical telegraph was invented.

In the 1850s, Sewer Systems were built to lower water-bourn diseases.

In the 1850s, Structural Steel was used to build bridges and buildings.

In 1860, the Intercontinental Railroad was completed.

In 1867, Dynamite was invented and was used to build tunnels.

In 1876, the telephone was invented by Alexander Graham Bell.

In 1876, the gasoline powered internal combustion engine was invented by Nicolaus Otto.

In 1879, the light bulb was invented by Thomas Edison.

In the 1880s, Indoor AC Electric Power was invented by Nikoli Tesla.

In 1895, the radio was invented by Marconi.

 

In the 1900s, technologies were applied to further improve living conditions and health.

In 1902, Air Conditioning was invented by Willis Carier.

In 1908, Chlorine was first used to disinfect drinking water in the United States.

In 1927, Television was invented.

In 1928, Penicillin was discovered and 4 US Drug Companies developed the manufacture of Antibiotics for US Troops in World War II.

In 1930, indoor plumbing was installed in homes in the 1930s

In 1930, radios became a household item.

In the 1930s 70% of homes in the US had electricity, with significant growth in urban and suburban areas.

By 1945, 85% of American homes were powered by electricity.

By 1950, virtually all homes in the US had electricity. 

In the 1950s Air Conditioning was being used in homes and offices in the US.

Refrigeration Timeline: It took 100 years to move from Ice Houses to Air Conditioning.

In 1834, refrigeration was invented to freeze water into ice blocks. 

In 1902, Willis Carrier invented the first air conditioning system for a printing company to control humidity. 

In 1914, the first residential air conditioner is installed in the mansion of Charles Gates in Minneapolis, 

In the 1920s, Air conditioning systems become more common in commercial spaces like movie theaters and department stores. 

In 1931, the first window unit air conditioner, making it more accessible for residential use, 

In the 1950s, air conditioning becomes more prevalent in homes, especially in hotter climates, as technology improves and costs come down. 

 

Electronics Timeline: It took 42 years to move from Cathode Ray Tubes to Integrated Circuits.

In 1958, the integrated circuit, aka microchip, was invented by Jack Kilby at Texas Instruments. This ushered in the development of electronics

 

Telephone Timeline: It took 131 years to move from the first telephone in 1876 to the iphone in 2007.

By the 1960s, most homes had a Television Set.

In the 1970s, personal computers and components were available at Radio Shack.

In the 1970s, cell phones were available at Radio Shack.

In 1981, the first successful personal computer (PC) is generally considered to be the IBM PC,

In the 1990s, the Internet became widely available to the general public.

In the late 1990s, Flat screen TVs began appearing at retail stores.

 

In 2007, the first iPhone was released by Apple.

 

Comments 

The number of years it took to turn an Invention into a Product varied based on Priorities, Resources, New Inventions and Demand.  The journey from a working prototype to a finished product took as long as 100 to 200 years in the 1800s and 1900s. The timeline during recent times is running from 20 to 40 years.  

The Steam Engine invented in 1712, continued to power cars, railroad engines, grain mills and factories for about 200 years until the 1920s when power came from gasoline engines and electricity. .

The first electronic, general-purpose computer was the ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer), which was completed in 1945. Cathode Ray Tubes were replaced by Integrated Circuits after 1958. This upgrade took about 20 years.

In the 1970s, Fiber Optic Cable became available.

In the 1980s, MS Dos was released by Microsoft and became the ruling PC software.

In the 1980s, Digital Signal Processing became available to allow cell phones to function.

In the 1980s, Cell Towers became available.

In the 1980s, AI became a popular technology for development.

In the 1990s, Microsoft Office included Microsoft Word and Excel. This upgrade took about 20 years.

In the 1990s Object-oriented software development gained prominence.

 

In 2008, Google Chrome was first released as a beta version for Windows. This Search Engine makes Libraries obsolete.

In 2025, AI is being implemented to allow upgrades in computing to improve data accuracy and increase data handling productivity.

Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader