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1440
Invention of the Printing Press
The printing press was invented by a German, Johannes Gutenberg in 1440. It was a hand cranked press and it was very effective in making the printing of Bibles less expensive and more accessible to larger groups of people. -
Invention of the Newspaper
The first considered newspaper in the American colonies was Publick Occurrences Both Forreign and Domestick. It was published by Benjamin Harris in Boston and soon became a prominent form of communication used throughout the American Revolution. Although paper newspapers are no longer near as prominent as they used to be, this invention was able to open the doors for the formation of American Press and our nation's ideas of free press today. -
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Invention of the Computer
The Analytical Engine, representing today's modern computer, was created by British mathematician Charles Babbage. -
Invention of the Telegraph and Morse Code
Samuel F.B. Morse, Joseph Henry, and Alfred Vail invented an electric telegraph which revolutionized long distance communication. Soon after, Morse created a system called Morse Code which transmitted a series of taps in order to efficiently send a message through the telegraph. -
Invention of the First Basic Phone
Antonio Meucci began developing the design of what was known as a talking telegraph in 1849. -
Invention of the Telephone
The telephone was first invented in 1876 by Alexander Graham Belle. It was the first invention that actually allowed people over long distances to speak with one another. Prior to this, long distance communication did not entail speaking -
Invention of the Radio
Initially, the radio was believed to have been invented by Guglielmo Marconi. However, in 1943, the Supreme Court ruled that his patents were invalid and warded Tesla with recognition for inventing the radio. Nonetheless, the radio continued to evolve after its creation in 1895 and reached its peak in the 1920s when radio was the most common way for American families to listen to the news as well as FDR's Fireside Chats during the Great Depression. -
Invention of the Television
The first electronic television was invented by a 21-year-old named Philo Taylor Farnsworth. -
Invention of the Cell Phone
Martin Cooper, a Motorola Executive, developed the first cell phone. This invention pioneered wireless communication. -
Invention of Macintosh
The Macintosh was developed by Apple and made computers more accessible and affordable for American families. -
Invention of iPhone
Steve Jobs debuted the iPhone in 2007, essentially springboarding the entire market of smartphones, apps and accessories which we communicate with today.