A Technology History Timeline

I remember watching a very informative documentary on the weapons used in World War I. I'll probably never forget a few of the comments made by one of the commentators who criticized the tendency of the average person to laugh at the old technology employed by their grandparents, great grandparents, and great great grandparents. I realize that not everyone who laughs is doing so in a demeaning way. Nevertheless, all laughing might cease if people would remember one thing--they are impressed only by new technology products used by individuals: big screen televisions, personal computers allowing access to the world wide web and with more processing power than yesterday's main frames, Apple's iPod, the Blackberry, and many other electronics and appliances. Technological advances, however, have never been limited to gadgets and devices for entertainment and convenience. Likewise, our thinking shouldn't be limited to viewing advances only in terms of the modern devices used by individuals instead of keeping the big picture in mind. The following technology history timeline reminds us that although our ancestors probably would not be able to figure out how to use the simplest digital camera, they still lived in times of astounding inventions. The fact that many of these inventions were not seen in the home, especially those with modest incomes, doesn't change the truth that there was some very serious technological advances in times past. Some inventions were helpful, others were harmful; but, all of them were powerful, impressive, and should be respected in any time period.

Year - Invention

1450 - German inventor Johannes Gutenburg invents the printing press upon which the Bible was the first book to be printed. Imagine this compared to the days of writing on papyrus scrolls or even to not having a writing system at all. We all use a writing system to write letters, notes, emails, and signs; we can all (well, most all of us) can obtain our own personal copy of the Bible thanks to this old technology.

1752 - Benjamin Franklin invents the lightning rob. Imagine a world without electricity. There are still villages around the world that have not yet been electrified. I don't think these people would laugh at this old technology or that of the invention of the light bulb by Thomas Alva Edison as far back as 1879. A good number of people today rely on medical equipment that runs on electricity to live.

1837 - Charles Wheatstone and Samuel Morse invent the telegraph. Take away email, text messaging, and other ways of communicating at a distance that are virtually instant and the old technology of the telegraph would be praised. Couldn't the same be said about Alexander Graham Bell's invention of the telephone way back in 1876?

1903 - Wilbur and Orville Wright give the world its first airplane, or "aeroplane" if you prefer. It's now possible to go anywhere on Earth in less than twenty-four hours traveling by air. Although that's impressive, it must have been even more impressive just to be able to fly.

1969 - Neil Armstrong is the first man ever to walk on the moon. People who watched the news coverage of this kind of "old technology" weren't sure if they could believe their eyes and what was being reported. Was a man really walking on the moon? Consider the powerful "old technology" it took to get him to the moon and back to Earth alive and in one piece.

This is an extremely skimpy technology history timeline; but, it makes a point. The old technology of times past is still the foundation for new technology products. The least significant inventor in times past was more brilliant than the average person today who can use all of the features of his or her fancy electronic gadget or appliance. The expression, "living in the dark ages," is often used to refer, in a derogatory way, to the attitudes, beliefs, and inventions of the times of our ancestors. However, the streets in many societies back then were safe to walk down, many people showed each other respect, and technological advances were astonishing. It doesn't look like those times were so dark after all.

Source:

Education Foundation
Greatest Inventions Timeline
Oracle ThinkQuest