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Period: to
Innovations Between 1940 and 2010.
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Slinky of 1943
Mechanical engineer Richard James invented the Slinky by accident. In 1943, he was working to devise springs that could keep sensitive ship equipment steady at sea. After accidentally knocking some samples off a shelf, he watched in amazement as they gracefully “walked” down instead of falling. The slinky was sold to many as a childrens toy, that entrigued children. Sales increased for toy stores accross the country. -
Mr. Potato Head of 1952
In 1952, George Lerner of New York City invented and patented Mr. Potato Head based on an earlier toy called "make a face" that used a real potato. Lerner originally designed his all-plastic toy as a prize for cereal premiums. Mr. Potato Head was the first toy to be advertised on network television. Mr. Potato Head introduced the more televised advertisements, and continues to be a child interactive. -
The First Hand Held Calculator of 1967
Texas Instruments created the electronic handheld calculator in 1967. The creation of a hand held calculator changed the lives of consumers as it became a valuable tool for anyone working with mathmatics. The invention of the hand held calculator led to an increase in sales for the product. The calculator would later be put into cellphones. -
Innovation of the Internet in 1973
The Internet is a worldwide network of thousands of computers and computer networks. The Internet and Transmission Control Protocols were initially developed in 1973 by American computer scientist Vinton Cerf as part of a project sponsored by the United States Department of Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and directed by American engineer Robert Kahn. The internet led to sales of computers and computer and computer software. The internet also led to communication between businesses. -
Hand Held Gaming in 1980
In 1980, Nintendo released its Game & Watch line, handheld electronic game which spurred dozens of other game and toy companies to make their own portable games, many of which were copies of Game & Watch titles or adaptations of popular arcade games. Improving LCD technology meant the new handhelds could be more reliable and consume fewer batteries than LED or VFD games. Hand held gaming led to an increase inproduction and sales for toy companies. -
World Wide Web of 1991
The World Wide Web was created in the late 1980s but began running and becoming popular during the 1990s. It was issued by Tim Berner-Lees, and led to an increase of online sales and computer sales, as more families were becoming more technologically savy. -
IPod of 2001
The IPod origniated with a business idea dreamed up by Tony Fadell, an independent inventor. The idea was to create an MP3 player, and build a music selling app around it, and later build a company around it. The IPod led to an increase in sales, and continues to be innovated to establish new cellular devices.
