Invention and inventors of the 20th century. Important inventions of the 20th century

Thanks to human discoveries over the past centuries, we have the ability to instantly access any information from around the world. Advances in medicine have helped humanity overcome dangerous diseases. Technical, scientific, inventions in shipbuilding and mechanical engineering give us the opportunity to reach any point globe in a few hours and even fly into space.

The inventions of the 19th and 20th centuries changed humanity and turned their world upside down. Of course, development occurred incessantly and each century gave us some greatest discoveries, but global revolutionary inventions occurred precisely during this period. Let's talk about those most significant ones who changed the usual outlook on life and made a breakthrough in civilization.

X-rays

In 1885, the German physicist Wilhelm Roentgen, during his scientific experiments, discovered that the cathode tube emits certain rays, which he called X-rays. The scientist continued to study them and found that this radiation penetrates through opaque objects without being reflected or refracted. Subsequently, it was found that by irradiating parts of the body with these rays, one can see internal organs and get an image of the skeleton.

However, it took a full 15 years after the discovery of Roentgen to study organs and tissues. Therefore, the name “X-ray” itself dates back to the beginning of the 20th century, since before it was not used everywhere. It was only in 1919 that many medical institutions began to put the properties of this radiation into practice. The discovery of X-rays radically changed medicine, particularly in the areas of diagnosis and analysis. The X-ray device has saved the lives of millions of people.

Airplane

Since time immemorial, people have tried to take to the skies and create an apparatus that would help a person take off. In 1903, American inventors brothers Orville and Wilbur Wright did it - they successfully launched their aircraft with the Flyer 1 engine into the air. And although he stayed above the ground for only a few seconds, this significant event is considered the beginning of the era of the birth of aviation. And the brothers-inventors are considered the first pilots in the history of mankind.

In 1905, the brothers designed a third version of the device, which was already in the air for almost half an hour. In 1907, the inventors signed a contract with the American army, and later with the French. Then the idea came to carry passengers on an airplane, and Orville and Wilbur Wright improved their model by equipping it with an additional seat. Scientists also equipped the plane with a more powerful engine.

TV

One of the most important discoveries of the 20th century was the invention of the television. Russian physicist Boris Rosing patented the first apparatus in 1907. In his model, he used a cathode ray tube, and used a photocell to convert signals. By 1912, he improved the television, and in 1931 it became possible to transmit information using color pictures. In 1939, the first television channel opened. Television has given a huge impetus to changing people's worldview and methods of communication.

It should be added that Rosing was not the only one who was involved in the invention of the television. Back in the 19th century, the Portuguese scientist Adriano De Paiva and the Russian-Bulgarian physicist Porfiry Bakhmetyev proposed their ideas for developing a device that transmitted images through wires. In particular, Bakhmetyev came up with a diagram of his device - a telephotograph, but was never able to assemble it due to lack of funds.

In 1908, Armenian physicist Hovhannes Adamyan patented a two-color apparatus for transmitting signals. And at the end of the 20s of the 20th century in America, Russian emigrant Vladimir Zvorykin assembled his own television, which he called “iconoscope”.

Car with internal combustion engine

Several scientists worked on the creation of the first gasoline-powered car. In 1855, German engineer Karl Benz designed a car with an internal combustion engine, and in 1886 he received a patent for his vehicle model. He then began producing cars for sale.

American industrialist Henry Ford also made a huge contribution to automobile production. At the beginning of the 20th century, companies appeared that produced cars, but the palm in this area rightfully belongs to Ford. He had a hand in the development of the low-cost Model T automobile and created a low-cost assembly line to assemble the vehicle.

Computer

Today we cannot imagine our daily life without a computer or laptop. But just recently the first computers were used only in science.

In 1941, the German engineer Konrad Zuse designed the Z3 mechanical device, which worked on the basis of telephone relays. The computer was practically no different from the modern model. In 1942, American physicist John Atanasov and his assistant Clifford Berry began developing the first electronic computer, but they failed to complete this invention.

In 1946, American John Mauchly developed the ENIAC electronic computer. The first machines were huge and took up entire rooms. And the first personal computers appeared only in the late 70s of the 20th century.

Antibiotic penicillin

A revolutionary breakthrough occurred in 20th century medicine when, in 1928, English scientist Alexander Fleming discovered the effect of mold on bacteria.

Thus, the bacteriologist discovered the world's first antibiotic, penicillin, from the mold fungi Penicillium notatum - a medicine that saved the lives of millions of people. It is worth noting that Fleming’s colleagues were mistaken in believing that the main thing was strengthening the immune system, and not fighting germs. Therefore, antibiotics were not in demand for several years. Only closer to 1943 did the medicine find widespread use in medical institutions. Fleming continued to study microbes and improve penicillin.

Internet

The World Wide Web has transformed human life, because today, probably, there is no corner of the world where this universal source of communication and information is not used.

Dr. Licklider, who led the American military information sharing project, is considered one of the pioneers of the Internet. The public presentation of the created Arpanet network took place in 1972, and a little earlier, in 1969, Professor Kleinrock and his students tried to transfer some data from Los Angeles to Utah. And despite the fact that only two letters were transmitted, the era of the World Wide Web had begun. That's when the first email appeared. The invention of the Internet became a world-famous discovery, and by the end of the 20th century there were already more than 20 million users.

Mobile phone

We can't imagine our life without mobile phone and I can’t even believe that they appeared quite recently. The creator of wireless communications was the American engineer Martin Cooper. It was he who made the first cell phone call in 1973.

Literally one decade later, this means of communication became available to many Americans. The first Motorola phone model was expensive, but people really liked the idea of ​​​​this method of communication - they literally signed up in line to purchase it. The first handsets were heavy and large, and the miniature display showed nothing but the number being dialed.

After some time, mass production of various models began, and each new generation was improved.

Parachute

For the first time, Leonardo da Vinci thought about creating something like a parachute. And after a few centuries, people already began to jump from balloons, to which half-opened parachutes were hung.

In 1912, American Albert Barry parachuted from an airplane and landed safely. And engineer Gleb Kotelnikov invented a backpack parachute made of silk. They tested the invention on a car that was in motion. Thus, a drogue parachute was created. Before the outbreak of World War I, the scientist patented the invention in France, and it is rightfully considered one of the important achievements of the 20th century.

Washing machine

Of course, the invention of the washing machine significantly simplified and improved people’s lives. Its inventor, American Alva Fisher, patented his discovery in 1910. The first device for mechanical washing was a wooden drum that rotated eight times in different directions.

predecessor modern models introduced in 1947 by two companies - General Electric and Bendix Corporation. Washing machines were uncomfortable and made noise.

After some time, Whirlpool employees introduced an improved version with plastic covers that muffled the noise. In the Soviet Union, the Volga-10 washing device appeared in 1975. Then, in 1981, production of the Vyatka-Avtomatic-12 machine was launched.

Numerous inventionsXIX - beginningXX century have radically changed people's daily lives, especially in major cities. From the beginning of the 19th century. A genuine revolution in communications has begun in the world. They developed as rapidly as transport.

Inventions of S. Morse

IN 1837 American artist S. Morse(1791-1872) invented the electromagnetic telegraph apparatus, and in next year developed a special alphabet, later named after him - “Morse code” - for transmitting messages. On his initiative, the first Washington-Baltimore telegraph line was built in 1844. In 1850, an underwater telegraph cable connected England with continental Europe, and in 1858 - with the USA. Scotsman A.-G Bell(1847-1922), who moved to the USA, invented in 1876 telephone set, first presented at the World's Fair in Philadelphia.

Inventions of T. Edison

He was particularly inventive Thomas Alva Edison(1847-1931), who had about 4 thousand patents for various inventions in 35 countries. He improved the Bell telephone, and in 1877 he invented a device for recording and reproducing sound - the phonograph. On its basis, engineer E. Berliner invented the gramophone and records for it in 1888, thanks to which music entered everyday life. Later, a portable modification of the gramophone appeared - the gramophone. At the end of the 19th century. Factory production of gramophone records was established in the USA, and the first double-sided discs appeared in 1903. Edison invented a safe incandescent lamp in 1879 and launched its industrial production. He became a successful entrepreneur and earned the nickname “King of Electricity.” By 1882, Edison owned a network of factories for the production of light bulbs, and that’s when the first power plant came into operation in New York.

Invention of the telegraph and radio

Italian G. Marconi(1874-1937) in 1897 Mr.. patented a “wireless telegraph” in England, ahead of the Russian engineer A.S. Popov, who began experiments with radio communications before him. In 1901, Marconi's company organized the first radio broadcast across the Atlantic Ocean. In 1909 he received the Nobel Prize. By this time, a diode and a triode had been invented, which made it possible to amplify the radio signal. Electronic radio tubes have made radio installations compact and mobile.

Invention of television and cinema

Already at the beginning of the 20th century. The technical prerequisites for the invention of television and software equipment were created, and experiments were carried out with color photography. Predecessor modern photography there was a daguerreotype that was invented in 1839 G. French artist and physicist L.-J.-M. Daguerre(1787-1851). IN 1895 The Lumiere brothers held the first film show in Paris, and in 1908 it was released on French screens fiction film"The Murder of the Duke of Guise". In 1896, film production began in New York, and in 1903 the first American Western, The Great Train Robbery, was filmed. The center of the world film industry was the Los Angeles suburb of Hollywood, where film studios appeared in 1909. The “star” system and others were born in Hollywood distinctive features American cinema, where the first films of the greatest comic actor and director C.-S. were created. Chaplin.

Invention of the sewing and typewriter

In 1845, the American E. Howe invented the sewing machine, in 1851 I.-M. Singer improved it, and by the end of the 19th century. Sewing machines have become part of the everyday life of many housewives around the world. In 1867, the first typewriter appeared in the USA, and in 1873 the Remington company established them mass production. In 1903, production of the improved Underwood model began, which became the most popular brand of typewriter in the world. The widespread use of sewing and typewriters, the establishment of telephone networks and other inventions contributed to the emergence of mass female professions and the involvement of women in the workforce.

Invention of pocket and wrist watches

From the middle of the 19th century. mass distribution began pocket watch; British soldiers on the fronts of the Boer War began to wear wristwatches.

Invention of communal amenities

The invention of the elevator, central heating and water supply, gas and then electric lighting completely changed the living conditions of the townspeople. Material from the site

Weapon Upgrade

Technological progress also manifested itself in the production of weapons. In 1835 the American S. Colt(1814-1862) patented a 6-shot revolver, which was adopted by the American army during the war with Mexico. The Colt revolver became the most common weapon of this class, especially in the Western United States. Another American H.-S. Maksim(1840-1916), invented an easel machine gun in 1883. This formidable weapon was first tested in the colonial wars that the British waged in Africa, and then the machine gun was adopted by many armies of the world. On throughout the XIX and at the beginning of the 20th century. all types of weapons continued to be improved. In addition to conventional weapons, chemical weapons appeared. Combat aviation was created, battleships, destroyers, and submarines appeared in the fleets. By the beginning of the First World War, humanity had created such means of extermination that doomed it to inevitably great sacrifices.

Inventors of the last century tried hard to help scientific and technological progress. Of course, all people created unusual devices as best as they could. financial situation. Many people used various improvised means or bought cheap mechanical parts on the market. People invented constantly, came up with something new and showed their invention to their neighbors, friends, and later to the whole world. We'll show you some of these interesting 20th century inventions.

Life jacket made from bicycle tires

What to do if there is no life jacket on the ship? It can be made from bicycle tires. These are the vests that were tested and showed good results in Germany in 1924.

Universal bike

A versatile bike that will allow you to ride both on land and on water. An interesting transport was made in France in 1932. The maximum permissible weight is 130 kilograms.

The tumbler supercar (1930) allows you to move over hilly terrain, holes, and depressions.

Comfortable radio hat

A radio hat makes it possible to keep abreast of all events without tying a person to a specific place, for example, to home or work.

Piano for people with disabilities

There are so many people with disabilities in the world. Unfortunately, medicine at that time was just beginning to actively help the immobilized. In 1936, a British man invented a piano for his daughter that could be located directly above the bed.

Do you like to read while lying down? Sometimes it's so difficult to choose the perfect position in bed to make reading comfortable. In England in 1937 it was created interesting invention- glasses that, with the help of mirrors and lenses, allow a person to read while lying down.

Car with shovel

In France, in 1925, special shovels were invented that were attached to the car. This invention was supposed to help reduce the number of pedestrian casualties in car accidents.

GPS navigator from the 30s

The GPS navigator was created back in 1933. Inside the small metal box was a rolled up card. The speed of scrolling the roll depended on the speed of the car.

Compact folding bridge

In the Netherlands in 1925 for emergency situations a folding bridge was created that could easily be transported in a cart. It could support the weight of 10 people.

Snowstorm masks

In northern Canada in 1939, people were tired of strong blizzards and bitter snow, which sometimes seriously injured their faces. One cunning inventor came up with special masks in case of a snowstorm.

Unusual hair dryer

An interesting device for drying hair, which cannot be found on the shelves of electronics stores. This peculiar hairdryer appeared in the last century, unfortunately, it “stayed” there, not reaching our time.

Baby stroller gas mask

Before the start of World War II, special baby strollers went on sale in England that protected them from gas and various impurities. The carriages were planned to be used in the event of a gas attack.

Revolver camera

In 1937, a safe revolver was invented in America that took excellent photographs when the trigger was pulled.

Max Factor Anti-Hangover Remedy

In 1948 employees Max Factor We came up with special masks with a cold compress for celebrities. This invention was used especially by lovers of alcoholic beverages.

A bicycle for all family members

An interesting bicycle with a sewing machine was invented in America in 1938. Such an invention would be useful if mom couldn’t tear herself away from her sewing machine and refused to go for a walk.

Read the latest news with newspaper-fax

The most recent newspaper in 1937 was the fax newspaper. All the latest news automatically appeared in people's homes. This invention can be compared to modern internet, where you can find all the information without having to leave your home.

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American film inventor Thomas Edison, who was able to make this form of entertainment technically feasible

A competition sponsored by Scientific American in 1913 required participants to write essays about 10 greatest inventions“of our time” (from 1888 to 1913), while inventions had to be patentable and dated back to the moment of their “industrial introduction”.

Essentially, this assignment was based on historical perception. Innovation seems more remarkable to us when we see the changes it brings about. In 2016, we may not give much importance to the achievements of Nikola Tesla or Thomas Edison, since we are used to using electricity in all its forms, but at the same time we are impressed social change, which resulted from the popularization of the Internet. 100 years ago people probably wouldn’t have understood what we were talking about.

Below are excerpts from the first and second prize essays, along with a statistical tally of all entries submitted. First place was awarded to William I. Wyman, who worked at the US Patent Office in Washington, thanks to which he was well aware of scientific and technological progress.

Essay by William Wyman

1. The 1889 electric furnace was “the only means capable of producing carborundum” (the hardest man-made material at that time). She also transformed aluminum from "merely valuable to a very useful metal" (reducing its cost by 98%) and "radically changed the metallurgical industry."

2. Steam turbine, invented by Charles Parsons, mass production of which began over the next 10 years. The turbine significantly improved the power supply system on ships, and was later used to support the operation of generators that produced electricity.

The turbine, invented by Charles Parsons, powered the ships. When given in sufficient quantity, they drove generators and produced energy

3. Gasoline car. In the 19th century, many inventors worked on creating a “self-propelled” car. Wyman, in his essay, mentioned Gottlieb Daimler's 1889 engine: “A hundred years of persistent but unsuccessful efforts to create a practically self-propelled machine proves that any invention that first fits into the stated requirements becomes an immediate success. Such success came to the Daimler engine.”

4. Movies. Entertainment will always be there for you to have great value, and “the moving picture has changed the way many people spend their time.” The technical pioneer Wyman cited was Thomas Edison.

5. Airplane. For “the realization of a centuries-old dream,” Wyman praised the invention of the Wright brothers, but at the same time emphasized its military applications and doubted the general usefulness of flying technology: “Commercially, the airplane is the least profitable invention of all those under consideration.”

Orville Wright conducts a demonstration flight at Fort Mere in 1908 and fulfills the requirements of the US Army

Wilbur Wright

6. Wireless telegraphy. Various systems have been used to transmit information between people for centuries, perhaps even millennia. In the US, telegraph signals became much faster thanks to Samuel Morse and Alfred Vail. Wireless telegraphy, invented by Guglielmo Marconi, later evolved into radio and thus freed information from cables.

7. Cyanide process. Sounds toxic, doesn't it? This process appears on this list for only one reason: it was performed to extract gold from ore. "Gold is the lifeblood of commerce", and in 1913 international trade relations and national currencies were based on it.

8. Nikola Tesla's asynchronous motor. “This landmark invention is largely responsible for the widespread use of electricity in modern industry,” writes Wyman. Before electricity was available in homes, the alternating current machine designed by Tesla generated 90% of the electricity consumed in manufacturing.

9. Linotype. This machine allowed publishers - mainly newspapers - to compose text and cast it much faster and cheaper. This technology was as advanced as the printing press was considered at one time in relation to the handwritten scrolls that preceded it. It is possible that soon we will stop using paper for writing and reading, and the history of printing will be forgotten.

10. Electric welding process from Elihu Thomson. During the era of industrialization, electric welding allowed for faster production rates and better, more sophisticated machines for the manufacturing process.

Electric welding, created by Elihu Thomson, significantly reduced the cost of producing complex welding equipment

Essay by George Dow

The second best essay, by George M. Dowe, also from Washington, was more philosophical. He divided all inventions into three supporting sectors: manufacturing, transport and communications:

1. Electrical fixation of atmospheric nitrogen. As natural sources of fertilizer became depleted in the 19th century, artificial fertilizers enabled further agricultural expansion.

2. Preservation of sugar-containing plants. George W. McMullen of Chicago is credited with discovering a method for drying sugar cane and sugar beets for transportation. Sugar production became more efficient and soon sugar supplies increased significantly.

3. High-speed steel alloys. By adding tungsten to steel, "tools thus made could cut at tremendous speeds without sacrificing the hardening or cutting edge." The increased efficiency of cutting machines has been "nothing short of a revolution"

4. Lamp with tungsten filament. Another advance in chemistry: With tungsten replacing carbon in the filament, the light bulb is considered “improved.” As of 2016, they are being phased out worldwide in favor of compact fluorescent lamps, which are 4 times more efficient.

5. Airplane. Although it was not yet widely used for transportation in 1913, "Samuel Langley and the Wright brothers should receive major honors for their contributions to the development of powered flight."

6. Steam turbine. As in the previous list, the turbine deserves praise not only for “using steam as a primary driving force”, but also for its application in “electricity generation”.

7. Internal combustion engine. In terms of transportation, Dow credits "Daimler, Ford and Duryea" the most. Gottlieb Daimler is a well-known pioneer of motor vehicles. Henry Ford began production of the Model T in 1908, which remained very popular until 1913. Charles Duryea created one of the earliest commercially successful gasoline vehicles after 1896.

8. A pneumatic tire that was originally invented by Robert William Thomson, a railway engineer. “What the track did for the locomotive, the pneumatic tire did for vehicles not tied to railroad tracks.” However, the essay acknowledges John Dunlop and William C. Bartlett, each of whom made major contributions to the development of automobile and bicycle tires.

9. Wireless communication. Dow praised Marconi for making wireless communications "commercially viable." The author of the essay also left a comment that can be attributed to the development of the World Wide Web, stating that wireless communications were “developed primarily to meet the needs of commerce, but along the way it contributed to social interaction.”

10. Typesetting machines. The giant rotary press could produce enormous volumes of printed material. The weak link in the production chain there was a complete set of printing plates. Linotype and monotype helped get rid of this shortcoming.

Many new things were invented in the 20th century. New construction projects were built, military equipment was developed, and space was explored. Let's try to note the most outstanding inventions and buildings that were made in the twentieth century and left a significant imprint on the history of mankind.

1. Titanic

This famous cruise ship of the British company White Star Line, the largest of its time, was launched on May 31, 1911. The construction of such a large steamship aroused truly enormous interest among people. Still would! Its length was as much as 268.83 m, its width reached 28.19 m, and its height reached 54 m. The liner could carry 2,556 passengers and another 892 crew members.

On April 2, 1912, the Titanic successfully passed sea trials on the water and a few days later set off on its first voyage. Only very wealthy people could get on board the ship, because... the ticket price reached 4,350 dollars (this is about 60 thousand at the modern exchange rate). But, unfortunately, the Titanic's maiden voyage turned out to be its last.

On April 10, 1912, she set sail from the port of Southampton with 1,316 passengers and 891 crew on board. The final destination of the journey was supposed to be the Irish port of Cobh... But on April 14, 1912, the ship crashed after colliding with an iceberg, as a result of the disaster more than 1,500 people died, only 704 survived....

2. Vostok spaceship

A real breakthrough in space exploration was human flight into outer space! It’s nice to know that Soviet scientists were the first to succeed in this matter. The Vostok spacecraft, intended for flights in low-Earth orbit, was designed under the leadership of Sergei Pavlovich Korolev.

Only one cosmonaut could be on board the ship, and the flight duration was no more than five days. The launch of the first manned spacecraft took place on April 12, 1961, piloted by Yuri Alekseevich Gagarin. “Vostok” made one revolution around our planet, spending 108 minutes on it.

3. Sydney Opera House

Perhaps the most striking symbol of Australia, besides the kangaroo, is the famous Sydney Opera House. This architectural structure(area 2.2 hectares), built in 1973, is recognized as one of the outstanding examples modern architecture(it is also called an architectural wonder of the world).

More than $100 million was spent on construction, and the construction itself lasted more than 15 years! In addition to the opera hall itself, there is also a concert hall, drama halls and chamber theaters, several restaurants and a reception hall. The theater can accommodate 1,507 people at the same time. Here is the world's largest mechanical organ with ten thousand pipes.

4. First computer

IN modern world It's hard to imagine life without computers. But just recently, some 50-60 years ago, the creation of such a machine as a computer seemed like a pipe dream. After World War II, in 1946, the world learned about the creation in the United States of the first electronic computer, ENIAC, the development of which took more than half a million dollars and three years of time.

The chief designer was Charles Babbage, who went down in history as the inventor of the first prototype of a computer. The machine was enormous: it weighed about 28 tons and absorbed about 140 kW of energy. The computers that were invented before him were a kind of prototype of ENIAC. Although he himself, whose power is equal to thousands of adding machines, was first called an “electronic calculator.”

5. Nuclear weapons

Sooner or later, humanity would learn to create weapons of mass destruction, which actually include nuclear weapons. The United States was the first to achieve success in this area. The project to create an atomic bomb, which was called the Manhattan Project (led by Leslie Groves), was carried out on July 16, 1945.

First atomic bomb weighed 2722 kg, power reached 18 kt in TNT equivalent. The creation of such weapons led to tragic consequences: explosion in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. For a relatively short time, the United States had a monopoly in this matter. Already in 1949, on August 29, near the city of Semipalatinsk, the first Soviet nuclear device under code name"RDS-1".

The presence of nuclear weapons in the USSR made it possible to maintain parity between the two states. Currently, the world community is trying to protect itself from this type of weapon and is trying to prevent its further spread, as well as try to destroy what has already been created.

Almost everyone who is interested in the history of the development of science, technology and technology has at least once in their life thought about what path the development of humanity could take without knowledge of mathematics or, for example, if we did not have such required item like a wheel, which has become almost the basis of human development. However, often only key discoveries are considered and given attention, while discoveries less known and widespread are sometimes simply not mentioned, which, however, does not make them insignificant, because each new knowledge gives humanity the opportunity to climb a step higher in its development.

The 20th century and its scientific discoveries turned into a real Rubicon, after crossing which progress accelerated its pace several times, identifying itself with a sports car that is impossible to keep up with. In order to stay on the crest of the scientific and technological wave now, considerable skills are needed. Of course, you can read scientific journals, various kinds of articles and works of scientists who are struggling to solve this or that problem, but even in this case it will not be possible to keep up with progress, and therefore it remains to catch up and observe.

As you know, in order to look into the future, you need to know the past. Therefore today we'll talk specifically about the 20th century, the century of discoveries that changed the way of life and the world around us. It is worth noting right away that this will not be a list of the best discoveries of the century or any other top, it will be a brief overview of some of those discoveries that changed, and perhaps are changing, the world.

In order to talk about discoveries, the concept itself should be characterized. Let's take the following definition as a basis:

Discovery is a new achievement made in the process scientific knowledge nature and society; establishment of previously unknown, objectively existing patterns, properties and phenomena of the material world.

Top 25 great scientific discoveries of the 20th century

1. Planck's quantum theory. He derived a formula that determines the shape of the spectral radiation curve and the universal constant. He discovered the smallest particles - quanta and photons, with the help of which Einstein explained the nature of light. In the 1920s, quantum theory developed into quantum mechanics.
2. Opening x-ray radiation– electromagnetic radiation with a wide range of wavelengths. The discovery of X-rays by Wilhelm Roentgen greatly influenced human life and today it is impossible to imagine modern medicine without them.
3. Einstein's theory of relativity. In 1915, Einstein introduced the concept of relativity and derived an important formula connecting energy and mass. The theory of relativity explained the essence of gravity - it arises due to curvature four-dimensional space, and not as a result of the interaction of bodies in space.
4. Discovery of penicillin. The mold Penicillium notatum, when it gets into the culture of bacteria, causes their complete death - this was proven by Alexander Flemming. In the 40s, a production one was developed, which later began to be produced on an industrial scale.
5. De Broglie waves. In 1924, it was discovered that wave-particle duality is inherent in all particles, not just photons. Broglie presented their wave properties in mathematical form. The theory made it possible to develop the concept of quantum mechanics and explained the diffraction of electrons and neutrons.
6. Discovery of the structure of the new DNA helix. In 1953, a new model of the structure of the molecule was obtained by combining the X-ray diffraction data of Rosalyn Franklin and Maurice Wilkins and the theoretical developments of Chargaff. She was bred by Francis Crick and James Watson.
7. Rutherford's planetary model of the atom. He hypothesized the structure of the atom and extracted energy from atomic nuclei. The model explains the basic laws of charged particles.
8. Ziegler-Nath catalysts. In 1953, they carried out the polarization of ethylene and propylene.
9. Discovery of transistors. A device consisting of 2 p-n junctions, which are directed towards each other. Thanks to its invention by Julius Lilienfeld, the technology began to shrink in size. The first operational bipolar transistor was introduced in 1947 by John Bardeen, William Shockley and Walter Brattain.
10. Creation of radiotelegraph. Alexander Popov's invention using Morse code and radio signals first saved a ship at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. But Gulielmo Marcone was the first to patent a similar invention.
11. Discovery of neutrons. These uncharged particles with a mass slightly greater than that of protons allowed them to penetrate the nucleus without obstacles and destabilize it. It was later proven that under the influence of these particles, nuclei fission, but even more neutrons are produced. This is how the artificial one was discovered.
12. In vitro fertilization (IVF) technique. Edwards and Steptoe figured out how to extract an intact egg from a woman, created optimal conditions for its life and growth in a test tube, figured out how to fertilize it and at what time to return it back to the mother’s body.
13. The first manned flight into space. In 1961, it was Yuri Gagarin who was the first to realize this, which became the real embodiment of the dream of the stars. Humanity has learned that the space between planets is surmountable, and bacteria, animals, and even humans can safely exist in space.
14. Discovery of fullerene. In 1985, scientists discovered a new type of carbon - fullerene. Nowadays, due to its unique properties, it is used in many devices. Based on this technique, carbon nanotubes were created - twisted and cross-linked layers of graphite. They show a wide variety of properties: from metallic to semiconducting.
15. Cloning. In 1996, scientists managed to obtain the first clone of a sheep, named Dolly. The egg was gutted, the nucleus of an adult sheep was inserted into it and implanted into the uterus. Dolly was the first animal to survive; the rest of the embryos of various animals died.
16. Discovery of black holes. In 1915, Karl Schwarzschild hypothesized the existence of black holes, the gravity of which is so great that even objects moving at the speed of light cannot leave it.
17. Theory. This is a generally accepted cosmological model that describes the earlier development of the Universe, which was in a singular state, characterized by infinite temperature and density of matter. The model was started by Einstein in 1916.
18. Discovery of cosmic microwave background radiation. This is cosmic microwave background radiation, preserved from the beginning of the formation of the Universe and uniformly filling it. In 1965, its existence was experimentally confirmed, and it serves as one of the main confirmations of the Big Bang theory.
19. Approaching the creation of artificial intelligence. It is a technology for creating intelligent machines, first defined in 1956 by John McCarthy. According to him, researchers can use methods of understanding humans to solve specific problems that may not be biologically observed in humans.
20. Invention of holography. This special photographic method was proposed in 1947 by Dennis Gabor, in which three-dimensional images of objects close to real ones are recorded and restored using a laser.
21. Discovery of insulin. In 1922, Frederick Banting obtained pancreatic hormone, and diabetes mellitus ceased to be a fatal disease.
22. Blood groups. This discovery in 1900-1901 divided blood into 4 groups: O, A, B and AB. It became possible to give a correct blood transfusion to a person without ending tragically.
23. Mathematical information theory. Claude Shannon's theory made it possible to determine the capacity of a communication channel.
24. Invention of Nylon. Chemist Wallace Carothers discovered a method for producing this polymer material in 1935. He discovered some of its varieties with high viscosity even at high temperatures.
25. Discovery of stem cells. They are the progenitors of all existing cells in the human body and have the ability to self-renew. Their capabilities are great and are just beginning to be explored by science.

There is no doubt that all these discoveries are only a small part of what the 20th century showed to society and it cannot be said that only these discoveries were significant, and all the others became just background, this is not at all the case.

It was the last century that showed us new boundaries of the Universe, saw the light of day, quasars (super-powerful sources of radiation in our Galaxy) were discovered, and the first carbon nanotubes, which have unique superconductivity and strength, were discovered and created.

All these discoveries, one way or another, are just the tip of the iceberg, which includes more than a hundred significant discoveries over the past century. Naturally, all of them became a catalyst for changes in the world in which we now live, and the fact remains undoubted that the changes do not end there.

The 20th century can be safely called, if not the “golden”, then certainly the “silver” age of discoveries, however, looking back and comparing new achievements with the past, it seems that in the future we will have quite a few more interesting great discoveries, in fact, the successor of the last century, the current 21st century only confirms these views.

Inventors of the last century tried hard to help scientific and technological progress. Of course, all people created unusual devices as well as their financial situation allowed. Many people used various improvised means or bought cheap mechanical parts on the market. People invented constantly, came up with something new and showed their invention to their neighbors, friends, and later to the whole world. We'll show you some of these interesting 20th century inventions.

Life jacket made from bicycle tires

What to do if there is no life jacket on the ship? It can be made from bicycle tires. It was these vests that were tested and showed good results in Germany in 1924.

Universal bike

Comfortable radio hat

Piano for people with disabilities

Car with shovel

GPS navigator from the 30s

Compact folding bridge

Snowstorm masks

Unusual hair dryer

Baby stroller gas mask

Revolver camera

Max Factor Anti-Hangover Remedy

A bicycle for all family members

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