
Invention
Useful and interesting inventions that are changing the world constantly year by year.
Fire

The first and most ancient invention of the world is the fire. The exact date fire was discovered is unknown, but some studies suggesting it was 1.5 million to 2 million years ago in Africa.
Discovering the fire and its power, the knowledge to light a fire by hands and tools changed the human life for ever. Using the fire offers warmth, ability to cook, protection from predators, lights in the dark pat of the days.
While we can’t pinpoint a single “discoverer” of fire, it’s clear that the mastery of fire was a gradual process involving observation, learning, and cultural transmission across generations of early humans.
Wheel
The wheel was discovered far away, in 3500 B.C. in Mesopotamia. The first tool founded was like inserted rotating axles into solid discs of wood. The Sumerians in this region are often noted for this development.

The scientist believes that the first idea of the wheels was when the ancient men decided to used to see logs of wood and round boulders rolling down mountain slopes.
There’s also evidence suggesting that wheels might have been independently invented in other regions, like Eastern Europe, particularly around the Carpathian Mountains, where studies indicate wheels could have been invented around 6,000 years ago.
The oldest known wooden wheel, discovered in the Ljubljana Marshes in Slovenia, dates back to 3200 BCE and was likely part of an oxcart, indicating the use of wheels for transportation in that area.
Nails

Evidence from archaeological findings suggests that nails were used in ancient civilizations.
In the Ancient Egypt the nails were made of copper or bronze have been found dating back to around 3400 B.C. These early nails were flat and tapering to a point, used in construction and woodworking.
In the Ancient China the evidence of nails being used around 3000 B.C., made from materials like beeswax, egg whites, gelatin, and vegetable dyes for coloring, though these were more for decorative purposes on nails rather than as fasteners.
Printing press

The printing press was invented by Johannes Gutenberg in the 15th century. Specifically, around 1450, Gutenberg developed the movable type system in the Latin alphabet, which significantly improved the efficiency and quality of book production. His invention is considered one of the most important milestones in the history of printing and communication.
Magnifying glass

The magnifying glass, in its modern form, was invented by Roger Bacon, an English philosopher and Franciscan friar, in the 13th century, around 1250. However, the concept of magnification using lenses dates back much earlier:
Ancient Egyptians used chips of crystal or obsidian for magnification thousands of years ago.
In Rome, Emperor Nero is recorded to have used gemstones to magnify his view of actors on stage.
The earliest explicit written evidence of a magnifying device comes from Aristophanes’s “The Clouds” from 424 BC, where magnifying lenses are humorously mentioned.
Compass

This invention’s precise originator is not known, but it’s clear that the Chinese were the first civilization to document and utilize the compass’s magnetic properties for practical use.
The compass, specifically the magnetic compass, was first invented in China during the Han Dynasty, which spanned from the 2nd century BC to the 1st century AD. The earliest recorded compasses were known as “south-pointers” or “South Pointing Fish,” made from lodestone, a naturally magnetized form of magnetite. Initially, these compasses were used for geomancy, fortune-telling, and feng shui, rather than navigation. It wasn’t until the Song Dynasty in the 11th century that compasses were adapted for navigational purposes.
Marine chronometer
The marine chronometer was invented by John Harrison. He is credited with developing the first practical marine chronometer after years of experimentation, with his most famous model being the H4, completed around 1761. His work revolutionized navigation by allowing sailors to calculate their longitude accurately at sea, which was a significant challenge before his invention
Light bulb

Many people think of when discussing the “discovery” of the light bulb, is most famously attributed to Thomas Edison. However, the development of the light bulb was a result of contributions by many inventors over time:
Humphry Davy, for the first time, demonstrated the principle of the incandescent lamp in 1802 by creating an electric arc between two wires. This was more of a demonstration of incandescence than a practical light source.
Warren de la Rue in 1840 used a coiled filament of platinum within a vacuum tube, which was an early form of an incandescent bulb but was too expensive for practical use due to the cost of platinum.
Joseph Swan developed and patented an incandescent light bulb in 1878 in the UK, using a carbon filament. He actually demonstrated his light bulb before Edison’s public demonstration.
Thomas Edison improved upon these earlier designs by finding a more durable filament material, specifically carbonized bamboo, and by creating a vacuum that could last long enough for commercial use. He patented his version in 1879. Edison’s significant contribution was not only in the bulb’s design but in the development of an entire electrical lighting system which included power generation and distribution.
Batteries

The concept of the electric battery as we know it today is largely credited to Alessandro Volta.
Alessandro Volta is widely recognized for inventing the first true battery, known as the voltaic pile, in 1800. His invention was a stack of alternating zinc and copper discs separated by cloth soaked in brine, which produced a steady electric current. This was a significant milestone as it provided the first continuous electrical source.
Before Volta, there were some earlier instances of devices that could be considered precursors to batteries:
– There’s speculation about the “Baghdad Battery,” discovered in the 1930s, which might date back to around 250 BC. This device, found in Iraq, consisted of a clay jar with a copper cylinder and an iron rod, potentially used for electroplating or generating small amounts of electricity, though its function is still debated among historians.
– Luigi Galvani laid some foundational work that indirectly led to battery development. In the 1780s, his experiments with frog legs and different metals led to the discovery of what he called “animal electricity,” although Volta later proved that the electricity was generated by the metals, not the animal tissue itself. This sparked further research into electrochemistry.
Telephone

The invention of the telephone is most commonly attributed to Alexander Graham Bell. He was granted the first patent for the telephone on March 7, 1876. However, the development of the telephone involved contributions from several inventors and researchers.
Antonio Meucci developed a voice communication apparatus named the “teletrofono” several years before Bell patented his telephone. Meucci filed a patent caveat for his device in 1871 but did not renew it due to financial constraints. In 2002, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution recognizing Meucci’s work.
Elisha Gray filed a patent caveat for a telephone on the same day Bell applied for his patent. There’s been some debate over who actually invented the telephone first, but Bell’s patent was issued first.
Johann Philipp Reis is a German scientist who constructed the first primitive telephone in 1861, which could transmit musical notes but not intelligible speech.
Internal combustion engine

The internal combustion engine was not developed by a single inventor but evolved through contributions from multiple inventors over time.
In 1860, Étienne Lenoir, built the first commercially successful internal combustion engine, which was a two-stroke engine running on illuminating gas.
In 1876 Nikolaus August Otto developed the first four-stroke cycle engine, often referred to as the Otto cycle, which significantly improved efficiency compared to previous designs.
Then, Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach, refined the internal combustion engine further. In 1883, they developed a high-speed engine which they mounted on a bicycle, creating one of the first motor vehicles.
In 1885 Karl Benz independently developed a gasoline-powered automobile with an internal combustion engine.
In 1897 Rudolf Diesel introduced the diesel engine, an internal combustion engine with higher efficiency and using a different combustion process.
Airplane

The discovery and invention of the airplane are attributed primarily to the Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur Wright.
Wilbur and Orville Wright are widely recognized for designing, building, and flying the first successful powered, controlled, and sustained airplane. On December 17, 1903, near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, they achieved the first controlled flight with the Wright Flyer, which flew for 12 seconds and covered 120 feet. This event is considered the birth of modern aviation because it was the first power-driven flight with control in three dimensions (pitch, roll, and yaw).
Electricity

Here are some key figures involved in the discovery and development of knowledge about electricity:
Thales of Miletus (c. 624 – c. 546 BC) is often credited with one of the earliest observations of static electricity when he noted that rubbing fur on amber would cause it to attract light objects.
William Gilbert (1544–1603) was the first to use the term “electric” from the Greek word for amber, “elektron,” and conducted experiments on magnetism and static electricity, distinguishing these from other natural forces.
Benjamin Franklin (1706–1790) is conducted famous experiments with electricity, notably his kite experiment, which helped prove that lightning is a form of electricity. He also introduced terms like “positive” and “negative” for electric charges.
Luigi Galvani (1737–1798) discovered what he called “animal electricity” when he observed that frog legs twitched when touched with different metals, laying groundwork for the study of bioelectricity.
Alessandro Volta (1745–1827) invented the first electric battery, known as the Voltaic pile, which was crucial in providing a steady source of electricity for experiments, demonstrating that electricity could be generated chemically.
Michael Faraday (1791–1867) worked on electromagnetic induction and the laws of electrolysis were pivotal in understanding how electricity works, leading to the development of electric motors and generators.
James Clerk Maxwell (1831–1879) formulated Maxwell’s equations, which unified the previously separate fields of electricity and magnetism, showing that light itself is an electromagnetic wave.
Thermometer

The discovering of the thermometer (as we know it today) was a long process.
Galileo Galilei is often credited with creating the first thermoscope, a precursor to the thermometer, around 1593. His device, known today as the Galileo Thermometer, indicated temperature changes but did not measure them with a scale.
Santorio Santorio is frequently mentioned as having made significant advancements to the thermoscope by adding a scale around 1612, which allowed for actual temperature measurement. This development is considered a key step towards the modern thermometer.
Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit invented the first mercury thermometer in 1714, which was a major step towards the modern, practical thermometer with a standardized scale. He is also known for creating the Fahrenheit temperature scale
Refrigerator
The first electric refrigerator was developed by General elctric, but before that there were several significant scientific achievements.

William Cullen in 1748 is often credited with demonstrating the first known artificial refrigeration by creating a vacuum to lower the boiling point of ether, which absorbed heat from the surrounding air. However, this was more of a scientific demonstration without practical application at the time.
Oliver Evans designed the first refrigeration machine using a vapor-compression cycle in 1805, although he did not build it.
Jacob Perkins built the first working vapor-compression refrigeration system in 1834, which operated on a closed cycle. This is considered by many as a significant step towards practical refrigeration.
John Gorrie in 1844 built a working unit based on Perkins’ design to cool air for yellow fever patients, marking another early practical application.
Alexander C. Twinning is noted for starting commercial refrigeration in 1856.
James Harrison, an Australian, developed vapor-compression refrigeration for the brewing and meat-packing industries around the same time.
Fred W. Wolf is credited with inventing the first electric refrigerator for home use in 1913, although it was not a commercial success.
General Electric introduced the “Monitor-Top” refrigerator in 1927, which became one of the first widely popular electric refrigerators for households
X-Rays

X-rays were discovered by Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen in 1895. Röntgen, a German physicist, made this discovery accidentally while experimenting with cathode rays in his laboratory at the University of Würzburg. He observed that a screen coated with barium platinocyanide began to glow even though it was not directly exposed to the cathode rays, indicating the presence of a new kind of radiation, which he named “X-rays” to signify its unknown nature
Radio

While Heinrich Hertz discovered the theoretical basis for radio waves, Guglielmo Marconi is most often credited with the invention of radio as a communication device due to his successful patents and commercial applications. However, the contributions of Tesla and others were also pivotal and should not be overlooked in the history of radio’s development.
In the late 1880s, Heinrich Hertz demonstrated the existence of electromagnetic waves, which he called “Hertzian waves,” now known as radio waves. His experiments confirmed James Clerk Maxwell’s theoretical predictions about electromagnetic radiation. Hertz’s work laid the foundational understanding but didn’t lead directly to practical radio communication.
Guglielmo Marconi is often credited with the practical application of radio waves for communication. In 1895, he successfully sent and received the first radio signal, and by 1896, he patented a wireless telegraphy system in England. Marconi’s work involved turning the theoretical understanding of radio waves into a commercial and practical means of long-distance communication. He achieved the first transatlantic radio signal in 1901.
Nicola Tesla also made significant contributions to the development of radio technology. He demonstrated wireless communication in 1893 and patented several technologies related to radio transmission. In 1943, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned some of Marconi’s patents in favor of Tesla’s earlier work, recognizing Tesla’s contributions to the invention of radio.
While Marconi is widely recognized in the West, other inventors like Aleksandar Popov in Russia were also experimenting with similar technologies around the same time. Popov demonstrated a receiver in 1895, known as a lightning detector, which could be considered an early form of radio receiver. However, he did not pursue commercial development as Marconi did. Claims of independent discoveries by these individuals are noted but less globally recognized for practical radio communication
Internet

In the early 1960s, J.C.R. Licklider, a computer scientist, proposed the concept of an “intergalactic computer network” while working at DARPA (then called ARPA). His vision laid the groundwork for what would become the Internet.
Leonard Kleinrock published the first paper on packet switching theory in July 1961, which became a fundamental technology for the Internet. He was part of the team that sent the first message over ARPANET in 1969.
Vint Cerf and Robert Kahn often is referred to as the “fathers of the Internet,” they developed the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and Internet Protocol (IP), collectively known as TCP/IP. This protocol suite was critical in enabling different networks to communicate with each other, thus forming the backbone of the Internet. They published their work in 1974, and the protocol was adopted by ARPANET in 1983, marking a significant milestone in the Internet’s history.
Berners-Lee created the World Wide Web in 1989-1990 at CERN, which is often confused with the Internet. The Web made the Internet more accessible and user-friendly by introducing concepts like HTML, URLs, and HTTP.