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U.S. Steel is Formed
J.P. Morgan co-founded U.S. Steel in 1901 by merging the steel empire built by Andrew Carnegie’s Carnegie Steel with the Federal Steel Company and National Steel Company. -
First Controlled Airplane Takes Flight
Orville and Wilbur Wright, more commonly referred to as the Wright brothers, were two American pioneering inventors who achieved the first airplane flight on December 17, 1903 -
Ford Installs First Moving Assembly Line
Henry Ford created the furs moving assembly line for the mass production of automobiles. The moving assembly line reduced the time it took to build a car from more than 12 hours to 2 hours and 30 minutes. -
Woman’s Suffrage
Woman gained a voice after the 19th Amendment was passed, which gave them a right to vote. -
Scopes Monkey Trial
After teaching the theory of evolution in a Tennessee high school, the state prosecutes science teacher John Scopes because state law prohibits such teachings as it runs counter to biblical beliefs. The jury ruled against Scopes, forcing him to pay a fine of $100. -
Earhart Crosses the Atlantic
Amelia Earhart becomes the first woman to pilot a plane across the Atlantic, from Newfoundland to Wales, making her an American national heroine and feminist icon who would go on to set numerous aviation records. -
The Fair Labor Standards Act Becomes Law
Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Fair Labor Standards Act, which mandated standards like the 40 hour workweek, the minimum wage, and child labor restrictions. -
America Goes to War
When the Japanese military attacked Pearl Harbor, America mobilized for war. From Maytag to Rolls Royce, American companies stopped producing consumer goods and added new technology to their factories and assembly lines. -
Baby Boom Starts
More American babies are born, 3.4 million in this year than in any other year in U.S. history. -
First 100 Percent Solar Powered House
Maria Telkes invented the thermoelectric power generator to provide heat for Dover House, the first solar heated house. -
Lean Manufacturing
In 1948, Toyota Motor Corporation developed what they called “Lean Manufacturing.” This process was developed in order to improve the flow of production by identifying and eliminating waste. -
CAD Merges Computers and Manufacturing
The emergence of computer aided design (CAD) in the 1950s and 1960s allowed machine tools to make precise and consistent cuts not through the skill of talented tradespeople, but by direction received from computer software programs. -
Brown vs. Board of Education
The U.S. Supreme Court rules that the segregated school system was unconstitutional on the basis of the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment of the Constitution. -
Discovery of LED Lighting
General Electric Company scientist, Nick Holonyack, invented the first visible light LED. -
JFK Assassinated
As JFK prepared for his re-election bid, he was shot during a parade by Lee Harvey Oswald. -
OSHA is Enacted
The Occupational Safety and Health Act requires employers to create and maintain workplaces that are safe from know hazards like extreme temperatures, untethered work at heights, toxic chemicals, excessive noise, and unsanitary conditions. -
Department of Energy was Founded
President Jimmy Carter signed The Department of Energy Organization Act of 1977 which created the twelfth cabinet level department, The Department of Energy. -
American Manufacturing Peaks
With 19.4 million Americans working in the sector, U.S. manufacturing was at its peak. Thanks to automation, robotics, and the arrival of computer technology output increased. -
The Rise of 3D Printing
Chuck Hull of 3D Systems invented the first 3D printing technology in the early 1980s. The first item printed was a tiny cup that was used as an eye wash. -
Amazon.com is Born
With an initial aim of becoming an online bookstore, Jeff Bezos and other inventors launched Amazon.com, just as e-commerce is about to take off. -
Robotic Use Increases in Manufacturing
Although the first industrial robot was designed by George Devol in 1954, robotics use has become more advanced and sophisticated in the 21st century. -
9/11
The worst attack on U.S. soil since Pearl Harbor, which killed 3,000 people. -
Katrina Overwhelms New Orleans
After spending four days in the Gulf of Mexico bulking up to a category 5 hurricane, slams into New Orleans. It killed at least 1,833 people and caused $161 billion in damages. -
Manufacturing USA was Created
Manufacturing USA consists of multiple liked Manufacturing Innovation Institutes. Each has a unique technological concentration, but also designed to accelerate U.S. advanced manufacturing as a whole. -
Covid 19
A virus first detected in Wuhan, China, that quickly spread and declared a pandemic. The outbreak reached al,ost every nation on Earth. The pandemic claimed more than 820,000 lives worldwide.