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The timeline of historic inventions is a chronological list of particularly important or significant technological inventions and their inventors, where known. [a] History of technology
Feb 12, 2023 · Explore the history of invention from prehistory to the present day with this interactive timeline. Learn about the discoveries and inventions that shaped science and technology, from fire and wheels to computers and rockets.
DateInvention Or DiscoveryArticles On Explain That Stuff4–5 billion years agoSun starts to produce energy.Solar cells Energy~3.5 million years agoHumans make the first tools from stone, ...1–2 million years agoHumans discover fire.Biofuels Candles Car engines Jet engines10,000 BCEEarliest boats are constructed.Explore the major inventions and discoveries that shaped human history from prehistoric times to the present. Learn about the first tools, fire, agriculture, iron, gunpowder, printing, steam engine, photography, and more.
- Overview
- A chronology of invention
Notable inventors and their inventions are listed in the table.
Chronology of inventors and inventions inventor nationality invention year of invention
Homo habilis stone tools c. 2 million years ago
Imhotep Egyptian step pyramid 27th century BCE
Archimedes Greek Archimedes screw 3rd century BCE
Ctesibius of Alexandria Greek float-type clepsydra (water clock) 3rd century BCE
Notable inventors and their inventions are listed in the table.
Chronology of inventors and inventions inventor nationality invention year of invention
Homo habilis stone tools c. 2 million years ago
Imhotep Egyptian step pyramid 27th century BCE
Archimedes Greek Archimedes screw 3rd century BCE
Ctesibius of Alexandria Greek float-type clepsydra (water clock) 3rd century BCE
- The Printing Press. Gutenberg's first printing press. Prior to the rise of the Internet, no innovation did more for the spread and democratization of knowledge than Johannes Gutenberg’s printing press.
- The Compass. History Lists: Explorers Not Named Columbus. Magnetic compasses may have been made somewhat obsolete by satellites and global positioning systems, but their impact on early navigation and exploration was inestimable.
- Paper Currency. American money and euros. Throughout much of human history, money took the form of precious metals, coins and even raw materials like livestock or vegetables.
- Steel. Steel being produced by the Bessemer Process at Penistone Steel Works, South Yorkshire. While early human societies made extensive use of stone, bronze and iron, it was steel that fueled the Industrial Revolution and built modern cities.
Invention and technology timelines tell the history of famous 16th 17th 18th 19th and 20th century events.
Explore the history of inventions from the Middle Ages to the 21st century with timelines, articles and photos. Learn about the inventors, events and innovations that shaped the world we live in.
