Connections Madison

Compass

206 BCE

Inventor: Han Dynasty
Significance: It uses a magnetic needle that can turn freely so that it always points to the north pole. It was very useful if someone go lost at didn't know which direction to go in. For ocean travel the compass would show which direction you are going in(north, northwest, northeast, east, Southeast, Southwest, south).

Printing Press

1440

Inventor: Johannes Gutenberg
Significance: It allowed us to share large amounts of information quickly and in huge numbers. It drastically changed the way society evolved.

Steam Engine

1698

Inventor: Thomas Savery
Significance: It allowed factories to be located anywhere. It also provided reliable power and could be used to power large machines. Steam engines were also a efficient way to power cars
(A more efficient steam engine was later created in 1765)

The maiden voyage of the steamboat Clermont

Aug 17, 1807

Inventor: Robert Fulton Significance: Helped seed up industrialization. Also lead to the creation of new towns and made it easier to ship goods. It traveled 4 miles per hour.

The Lehigh Canal

1818

Architects: Canvass White and Josiah White
Significance: The canal was used to transport various goods but the most important ones were Anthracite Coal and Pig Iron.

The Telegraph and Morse code

1830

Inventor: Samuel Morse
Significance: The Telegraph revolutionized long distance communication. Morse Code allowed ships at sea to communicate over long distances using large lights(was especially useful during WWII ).

The Transcontinental railroad

May 10, 1869

Operators: Leland Stanford, Collis P. Huntington, Mark Hopkins, and Charles Crocker(also known as the "Big Four")
Significance: It connected the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts by rail for the first time in history.

The Wright brothers flyer

Dec 17, 1903

Inventors: Wilbur and Orville Wright
Significance: It was the first powered, sustained, and controlled airplane.

Car

1920

Inventor: Karl Benz
Significance: The car is an easy and quick mode of transportation. It improved the economy and provided the opportunity to travel long distances.

Television

1927

Inventor: Philo Taylor Farnsworth
Significance: It is a source of communication, education/information and entertainment. The TV also had a big impact on World culture

The opening of the Pennsylvania Turnpike

Oct 1, 1940

Built by: William Sutherland
Significance: It became the first long distance limited access road in the United States. It also provided a direct link between the Mid-Atlantic and Midwestern states (it cut travel time from Pittsburgh to Harrisburg From 6 to 2 1/2 hours).

The World Wide Web (the Internet)

1989

Inventor: Sir Tim Berners-Lee
Significance: It connected the world in a way that was not possible before. It also made it easier for people to get information and communicate.

Amazon.com

Jul 5, 1994

Inventor: Jeff Bezos
Significance: It made it easy to shop without having to leave your home. You could buy anything from clothes to food to furniture, but originally you could only purchase books.

Myspace

Aug 1, 2003

Founders: Tom Anderson, Chris DeWolfe, Jon Hart
Significance: From 2005 to 2008 it was the largest social networking site. It had a major impact on the music and pop culture.

Skype

Aug 29, 2003

Inventors: Niklas Zennström, Janus Friis
Significance: Skype allows people to communicate with each other no matter how far they are apart through video calls. Skype has played a big role in many businesses.

The iPhone

Jun 29, 2007

Inventor: Steve Jobs
Significance: It made photography a part of everyday life and put the internet within anyone's reach. It became the fastest growing obsession.