2. The development of the airplane (early 1900's)

The development and commercialization of aircraft following the Wright brothers' successful flight in 1903 promoted transcontinental transportation on a scale unimaginable in earlier centuries and heavily contributed to the globalization of industry and tourism. In warfare, aircraft significantly modified the way wars were fought, both at the strategic and tactical levels, and exposed civilians to military actions as never before.

 

Terry S. Reynolds is a Professor of History at Michigan Technological University. His Top 10 list focuses on the most significant developments in technology. "No other invention had so wide an influence during the 1900's," says Professor Reynolds of his top pick--the automobile.

1.

The impact of the automobile (throughout the 1900's)
2. The development of the airplane (throughout the 1900's)
3. The spread of mass production methods (throughout the 1900's)
4.

The rise of radio and television (mid-1900's)
5. The development of the transistor and related improvements (middle to late 1900's)
6. The development of the computer and the Internet (middle to late 1900's)
7. The development of atomic weapons and nuclear power (mid-1900's)
8. The development of new materials (throughout the 1900's)
9. The institutionalization of invention (throughout the 1900's)
10. The marriage of technology and science (throughout the 1900's)