Category Archives: Thoughts

It has always been in human nature to improve on what we have to make our lives “better”. By better clearly we mean less labour intensive, faster, cleaner, more connected and in recent years more fun.

But in looking back on the inventions of yesteryear some clearly stand out more than others. The following are, in my opinion, some of the greatest inventions that touch our modern day lives every day in one form or another. To that end, their creation makes our society work.

You may disagree with some of them or have some of your own to add but undoubtedly you will agree that the majority of these items the world simply cannot live without. So here is the list along with the inventor and approximate date of invention:

1. Wheel – Origin unknown. Around 4000 BC.
2. Electricity – Collection of inventors. Early discoveries around 600 BC.
3. Batteries – Alessandro Volta. 1800.
4. Light Bulb – Thomas Edison. Late 19th Century.
5. Automobile – Generally regarded as Karl benz. Late 19th Century.
6. Telephone – Alexander Graham Bell. Late 19th Century.
7. Plane – Collection of inventors although the Wright brothers are usually credited with the furthest advances in the principles of what we call aeroplanes today. Early 20th Century.
8. Television – John Logie Baird – Around 1925. as expected the first country to have their own television broadcast was the US in 1928 but it took a further 80 years for Liechtenstein (2008) to start broadcasting their own television. Interestingly India did not have their own channel until 1959.
9. Silicon Chips – Werner Jacobi – 1949
10. World Wide Web – Sir Tim Berners-Lee. 1989