STORY:
Inventions of the Millennium, a Top Ten List

Taking a look at the inventions that changed our lives in the past millennium

Picking a top ten list depends on your interests and perspective. For each person a different list of ten inventions may be chosen. With that in mind, we will give you the Dallas list and follow with a look at other inventions and you can make up your own top ten list if you would like.

Here it is….

#10 The Telescope. It was invented in 1608 by Hans Lippershey and then improved by Galileo. Lippershey invented it for use in war. Galileo used it to launch the era of modern science.

#9 The Microscope. Invented in the 1590’s or early 1600’s possibly also by Lippershey. The microscope became a tool used to reveal the inner workings of life and matter, much the same way the telescope unveiled the secrets of the nighttime sky.

#8 The PET scan. (Improved over many years from 1938-1975) The magnetic resonance imaging opened the interior of living things, including the human brain, to a view long thought impossible. The scan provided insight into the physiological basis of language, thought, and sensation.

#7 The Laser (1960) It is today at the core of consumer products from CD players to laser printers.

#6 The Computer. Initially invented by Charles Babbage in 1822, and in its original electronic form by Mauchly and Eckert in 1946. Provides us with the tools we need to perform calculations without pencil and paper, along with many more uses still being discovered today.

#5 The Transistors (Bell Labs, 1947) and the integrated circuit combining many transistors paved the way to computing’s infiltration of society, it’s dominance in science, and provides a constant reminder of the value of basic research in fields like quantum physics.

#4 The World Wide Web (Berners-Lee 1991) Brought the Internet to life and made the globe a village. It is providing science with instant information and its use is being refined every single day.

#3 The Steam Engine (Savery, 1698; Newcomen, 1712; Watt, 1765) Powered the Industrial Revolution and inspired the science of thermodynamics.

#2 The mechanical clock (13^th Century) Provides science with the tool it needs to quantify changes in natural phenomena, leading to Newton’s conception of the clockwork cosmos.

And finally….

#1 The Invention of the Millennium: The Gregorian Calendar. Invented by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582. Without the calendar we wouldn’t know what date it is, we wouldn’t be able to celebrate the New Year and we certainly wouldn’t know when the next millennium begins.

Ok, now if you didn’t like those choices, or would just like a chance to choose for yourself, here’s a list of some other important inventions and the year they were discovered. Have fun making up your own top ten list.

Transportation Inventions----

The Locomotive (1804)

The Car (1885)

The Airplane (1903)

Radar (1935)

Communication Inventions---

Radio (1896)

Motion pictures (1891)

Movable Type Printing (1450)

TV (1923)

Medicine----

Vaccination (1796)

Anesthetics (1844, 1846)

Syringe (1646)

Stethoscope (1816)

Farming, Food and Daily Life---

Cotton Gin (1793)

Electric Light (1878)

Telephone (1876)

Fax Machine (1902, 1913)

Air Conditioning (1902)

Electric Hair Dryer (1902)

Source: Dallas Morning News

DATE: 10/19/99

For more E2000 stories, click here:
news | events | Y2K | today's news

Marketplace
Books
Collectibles
Celebration Supplies
General Merchandise
Travel Packages