Inventions that shook the World

Take a voyage through a time of the most innovative and world-changing technological breakthroughs of the 1990s! From the creation of the Hubble Telescope by NASA, allowing us to see into the deepest parts of the known universe, to a software engineer who develops the camera phone in the waiting room while he waits for […]

The 1980s launched unprecedented inventions that would continue into the next century. DNA profiling began changing crime scene investigations for all time. Network computing got a giant boost around the world with the advent of the Internet, and the MIR space station kicked off a new age of space science.

In the 1970’s the cell phone moves from the car console to the hand when an engineer is inspired by a science fiction series. The hybrid car is reborn as an answer to the concerns over fossil fuels and pollution thanks to a tenacious inventor and the Environmental Protection Agency. The invention of the digital

Episode 7 – The 1960’s Synopsis: The 1960s is a decade of both cultural and technological change. A weather satellite that can save lives by tracking weather patterns and predicting hurricanes is launched into orbit. Robots begin to appear in the workplace, taking over some menial tasks, freeing up workers to focus on more complicated

Episode 6 – The 1950’s Synopsis: The 1950s heralds the end of vacuum tubes and the rise of mobile technologies when two Japanese inventors shrink cabinet-size radios down to something small enough to fit in your pocket. An intrepid crime scene photographer puts boozy breath to work, busting drunk drivers with the roadside breathalyzer. Aircraft

Episode 5 – The 1940’s Synopsis: War is the driving force behind much of the innovation in the 1940s. In a desperate attempt to secure aerial supremacy, the British win the race to develop the jet engine. Under the Reich, a German engineer builds what is now recognized as the world’s first true computer. In

Episode 4 – The 1930’s Synopsis: Though overshadowed by the Great Depression, there is no shortage of ingenuity in the 1930s. The two-way radio gets miniaturized, and the world’s first portable walkie-talkie goes on the air. The electric guitar changes popular music forever, and commuters become a cash cow for cities when the parking meter

Episode 3 – The 1920’s Synopsis: Mobsters, jazz, and turbulent economic times mark the 1920s. Silent film makes the transition to the talkies as sound comes to the silver screen. The refrigerator gets a makeover from the smartest man in the world; and pverty inspires a desperate inventor to come up with a winner called

Episode 2 – The 1910’s Synopsis: Saving lives and taking lives are the hallmarks of the inventions of the 1910s. The umbrella supplies the inspiration for a new device that lets airplane pilots parachute to safety. Sonar navigation comes to the aid of ships at sea; and a garment manufacturer develops the first safety hood

Episode 1 – The 1900’s Synopsis: The first decade of the 1900s ushers in crucial inventions that will help shape the rest of the century. Communication gets a boost as a voice is transmitted wirelessly by radio for the first time. Shaving gets a new edge with the appearance of the safety razor blade. The