8 Inventions of 20th Century that Changed the World

From the vacuum cleaner to the nuclear bomb, these feats of engineering have laid the framework for the modern era and will continue to do so for years to come. 

So as you probably garnered from the title, today we will explore some of the 20th century’s best inventions, things that have both shaped the world and your everyday life, so let’s begin. 

The Airplane

Let’s start with something a little more obvious, the airplane. Think about how much smaller the world became once commercial flights were possible. However, let’s go back a step further.

Invented in 1903 by Wilbur and Orville Wright, the brothers brought to life a concept reserved for mythological stories.

However,  the airplane was not taken seriously until Charles Lindberg made his solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean.

It revolutionized countless industries beyond just the realms of transportation. The effects of the airplane can be felt in satellite and communication, business, and commerce, just to name a few.

Just think of a life without the option of flying away to somewhere new. 

The Television 

Though your grandparents may disagree, television changed the world for the better.

Created in 1926 by John Logie Baird, the television was one of the first inventions to affect the lives of masses worldwide, and to this day still remains the most popular way of getting information.

Broadcasting both news and entertainment, the television created entirely new industries impacting culture to such an extent that it influenced how people think about important social issues such as race, gender, and class.

The Computer

Imagine a life without your smartphone or laptop. Yes, it is possible, but the loss would be dramatically felt. On a much larger scale, some of the greatest scientific discoveries and inventions in recent years can be attributed to the computer.

The computer was born out of the minds of many scientists, researchers, and mathematicians, with the first programmable computer, the Z1, being created between 1936 and 1938. 

From getting a man to the moon to changing how people communicate, the computer has helped mankind create various technologies that still play an integral role in our daily lives. 

The Radio

Occasionally underappreciated, the radio was one of the first major inventions of the 20th century. Invented by many different scientists, including Nikola Tesla and Guglielmo Marconi, the radio became the world’s most used form of communication.

The radio in the early 20th century served as a social bonding tool, a place of news, an education tool, and for emergency broadcasts, in short, providing an entirely new way for people to communicate and interact. 

Nuclear Power 

Utilizing the energy released by splitting the atoms of certain elements, harnessing nuclear power would change the world in more ways than one. First developed in the 1940s as a means to produce bombs, it was not until the 1950s that nuclear energy research turned peaceful. 

Today nuclear energy provides about 10% of the world’s electricity from about 440 power reactors making it the world’s second-largest source of low-carbon power. Over 50 countries use nuclear energy research industries from medical to industrial.  

The Automobile 

The automobile was under development in Europe in the 19th century. However, the vehicle did not come to fruition until the early 20th century. Once it did arrive, no more horses and buggies.

Popularized by Henry Ford’s Model T in 1908, the automobile gave the average person greater mobility and personal freedom while spawning a revolution in the marketplace.

Goods could now be transported much more easily and quickly, the seeds of the traveling industry were planted, and people could move out of the city and live in the suburbs thanks to the automobile.  

Antibiotics

Antibiotics changed modern medicine forever. Considered by many as one of man’s greatest creations, outsmarting bacteria.

Before the Scottish researcher Sir Alexander Fleming’s discovery of penicillin, death by bacteria was fairly common to the extent that even the smaller little bug could be fatal.

Antibiotics like penicillin and many others helped drastically reduce mortality and even helped people live longer and healthier lives.     

Penicillin helped save the lives of millions of soldiers in World War II, helping those who got sick from war or suffered life-threatening injuries.

Imagine where you would be if you did not have the antibiotics at your disposal the next time you were sick. 

Internet

Ah, the internet. You probably saw this coming from a mile away, but it makes sense.

Aside from creating hilarious memes, streaming cat videos, and trolling online, the internet has affected lifestyles across the globe since the first internet connections were laid in the late 1950s.

Education, commerce, science, art, music, communication, modern media, and travel have all been shaped by the internet in some shape or form, and that’s not even half of it. 

The internet has even been used as a tool to make positive and negative social, economic, and political changes that affect billions of people a day. 

This is just the beginning and Interesting Engineering will be taking a further look at some other great 20th century inventions that have changed our lives. Stay tuned for Chapter 2.