20th century was notable for many historic events – two world wars, independence and democracy for many nations, economic upheavals, and more. This was also the period during which a multitude of inventions occurred.
Invention of radio
One of the inventions of the twentieth century was the radio. It was one of the major inventions of that era. The brain behind this 20th century invention was Guglielmo Marconi. The year of the invention was 1901. The newly invented radio was used to send a radiotelegraph message to Canada from England. The radio quickly became the preferred way by which communication was carried out. The amplitude modification of the radio also led to the possibility of one being able to link to several radio stations.
Invention of television
The television also was invented in the 20th century by a man named John Logie Baird. The invention was in the year 1926. It was actually seen as a miracle by most people then. The very first television broadcast was made by the inventor. This was closely followed by the first colored image broadcasting. Today, we all realize how important the television had become.
Computer is arguably one of the most important inventions of the 20th century.. So many things went into the invention of the computer. Several mathematicians and scientists have played their part in the design of modern computer. The concept of computer came into existence courtesy Charles Babbage. The first programmable computer was however made by Konrad Zuse. This was closely followed by the production of the desktop and laptop computers. The internet too came into existence shortly after this.
In 1977, the very first mobile phone or cell phone was made. With this 20th century invention, communication became more comfortable, easier and faster. Technology became advanced to the extent that the cell phone is now almost ubiquitous – almost everyone has one or more.
The motorized vehicle – automobile – was invented during the 20th century. Since then, it has underwent several developments and iterations to become the “modern car” that we have around us today. Before the invention of the automobiles, transportation was carried out with the help of animals like horse, donkeys and mules. The invention helped to put a total end to all this and it also helped in making transportation more efficient and faster. There are cars in today’s world that can even go as fast as 200 kilometers/ hour.
During the 20th century, the field of medicine also took giant strides forward. Several scientists came up with discoveries that became landmarks in the medical world. One of them is the invention of the polio vaccine. Before its invention, children consistently suffered from deformed limbs as a result of polio. The polio vaccine was invented in 1952 at the university of Pittsburgh medical school by Dr. Jonas Edward Salk. This heralded the “beginning of the end” of polio.
The space shuttle too was invented in the 20th century. It enabled man to land on other planets for a concise study of them. The space shuttle was first developed by NASA in the later part of 1960. The Columbia was the first space shuttle to travel into the space and this was carried out in 1981. It was developed through a collaborative effort of several scientists. Before this, Sputnik 1 became the first artificial satellite to be put into Earth’s orbit.
Discovery of radium
This is not an invention, but Marie Curie’s invention of radium is another interesting discovery made during the 20th century.