Inventions 1900 to 1990

20th century inventions were hugely influenced by major developments in technology and resources, enabling the inventions of key items and devices which changed the way we live today.

1900 - 1910 inventions

1901 : Vacuum cleaner

1902 : Air conditioning; automated tea maker

1903 : Electrocardiogram; first powered flight

1904 : Radar; tea bags; diodes

1905 : Plastic; windscreen wipers; silencer for guns

1906 : Radio broadcasting

1907 : Electric washing machine

1908 : Coffee filter; water coolers; paper cups; assembly line production; the model T - first affordable motor car

1910 : Neon lamps

1911 - 1920 inventions

1911 : Stenotype machines

1913 : Ecstasy; Brillo pads; crossword puzzles; bras; zips

1916 : Sonar

1920 : Hair dryers; kiss-proof lipstick; submachine guns

1921 - 1930 inventions

1921 : Robots; insulin

1922 : Aga cooker

1923 : Hearing aids

1924 : Frozen food

1925 : Geiger counter; television

1926 : Liquid fuel rocket; pop-up toaster; aerosol sprays

1927 : 'Talkies' at the movies

1928 : Iron lung; penicillin

1929 : Artificial life

1930 : Jet engine; mechanical toothbrushes; Scotch tape

1931 - 1940 inventions

1931 : Electric razor

1932 : Radio telescope; parking meter; folding wheelchair

1933 : Electron microscope; angle-poise lamp

1934 : Cats eyes

1935 : Electric guitar

1936 : Sun tan lotion; electric blanket

1938 : Ballpoint pen; photocopying

1939 : Helicopters; cloud seeding to trigger rain

1941 - 1950 inventions

1942 : First nuclear reactor built; napalm

1943 : Aqualung

1944 : Kidney dialysis machine

1945: Nuclear Bomb

1946 : Microwave ovens; automation; bikini; tupperware; tupperware Parties

1947 : Transistors; holograms; artificial intelligence; disposable nappy; mobile phones

1948 : Frisbees; velcro; general purpose computers; contact lenses

1950 : credit cards; self-cleaning house; junction transistor

1951 -1960 inventions

1951 : Contraceptive pill; tetrapak cartons of milk

1952 : Wide-screen cinema

1953 : Transistor radio

1954 : Solar cell; synthesiser

1955 : Hovercraft; atomic clock; polio vaccine; structurally modified antibiotics

1956 : Video tape recorder

1957 : Satellite; endoscope

1958 : Video games; microchip; modems

1959 : Car seat belts

1960 : Cardiac pacemaker; laser

1961 - 1970 inventions

1961 : Man in Space; Valium

1963 : Lava lamp

1964 : Computer mouse; miniskirt

1965 : Optical disc; bay buggy; HTML

1966 : Kevlar; fibre optics; pocket television

1967 : Portable calculator

1968 : Biometrics; Workmate; artificial heart

1969 : Internet; cash dispenser

1970 : LED and LCD's

1971 - 1980 inventions

1971 : Floppy disc

1972 : Prozac; disposable lighter

1973 : Genetic engineering; barcodes; post-it-note; car airbags; cellular phones

1975 : Personal computer; laser printer

1976 : Apple 1

1977 : In vitro fertilisation; MRI scanner; inkjet printer

1979 : First personal stereo

1980 : Abortion pill; Hepatitis B vaccine

1981 - 1990 inventions

1981 : Scanning tunneling microscope; Space shuttle

1984 : Macintosh computer

1986 : High temperature superconductor

1987 : Disposable contact lenses

1989 : World Wide Web; Macintosh Portable

1990: Hubble Telescope