3.3 million years ago: The initial tools
The history of technology starts even before the emergence of our own species. Pointed stone shards utilized as knives and bigger rough stones employed as hammers and anvils have been discovered at Lake Turkana in Kenya. The tools originated 3.3 million years ago and were probably utilized by an ancestor like Australopithecus.
1 million years prior: Flame
The exact time when humans first utilized fire remains uncertain, but, akin to the initial tools, it was likely created by a predecessor of Homo sapiens. Signs of burned substances are present in caves occupied by Homo erectus starting around 1 million (possibly even 1.5 million) years ago.
20,000 to 15,000 years ago: Agricultural Transition
In the Neolithic Era, multiple significant technologies emerged simultaneously. Humans transitioned from obtaining food by foraging to acquiring it via agriculture. Individuals gathered in bigger assemblies. Clay was utilized for making pottery and bricks. Apparel started to be constructed from interlaced materials. The invention of the wheel likely occurred during this period.
850 CE: Black powder
In their quest for elixirs that promote longevity, alchemists in China discovered gunpowder. It was utilized to drive rockets connected to arrows. The awareness of gunpowder reached Europe during the 13th century.
950: Wind turbine
Almost 5,000 years following the inception of sailing vessels, wind power was first harnessed to run a mill. The earliest windmills originated in Persia. They were horizontal windmills with blades mounted on a vertical shaft. Subsequently, European windmills were of the vertical design. There is speculation that the windmill could have been independently invented in both Persia and Europe.
1044: Directional Instrument
The earliest clear reference to a magnetic compass appears in a Chinese text completed in 1044. It explains how troops navigated with a fish-shaped magnetized iron piece bobbing in a water bowl when the stars were obscured by clouds.
1250–1300: Clockwork mechanism
For centuries, hourglasses and water clocks existed, but the initial mechanical clocks started to emerge in Europe near the conclusion of the 13th century and were utilized in cathedrals to indicate when services would occur.
1455: Printmaking
Johannes Gutenberg finished printing the Bible, the initial book produced in the West with movable type. Gutenberg’s printing press triggered an information surge across Europe.
1765: Steam engine
James Watt enhanced the Newcomen steam engine by incorporating a condenser that transformed the steam back into liquid water. This condenser operated independently from the cylinder driving the piston, resulting in a significantly more efficient engine. The steam engine emerged as one of the key inventions of the Industrial Revolution.
