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November 01,2019 Facilitating Innovation

Top 5 Inventions of All Time

Top 5 Inventions of All Time

Top 5 Inventions of All Time

How can a person put a number or a rank to the top 5 inventions of all time? We’ve been unable to create an objective model that would give us an accurate ranking. However, that didn’t stop us from creating an anecdotal and subjective list.

# 5 Penicillin

Accidentally discovered in 1928 by Alexander Fleming the world has never been the same. Used initially to treat bacterial infections it then became the lifesaving drug of World War 2. Penicillin later brought forward multiple types of antibiotics and believed to have saved over 200 million lives.

# 4 Internal Combustion Engine

Patented in 1823 by Samuel Brown, the first engine came from thirty plus years of failed experiments. Beginning with gas-powered boats the engine quickly moved to ground vehicles by Karl Benz and Rudolf Diesel. Today, the world has over 1 billion automobiles, 40,000 airplanes, and hundreds of spacecraft. These all originated with the engine and have revolutionized the world of transportation.

# 3 Telephone

Brought to life by Scottish inventor Alexander Grahm Bell in 1876, the world forever changed. Telephones quickly spread across the world. Linking families and friends that previously relied on the mail. Telephones grew into mobile phones making conversations instant even if they’re across the world. While there are roughly 7 billion people in the world, there are nearly 6.8 billion mobile phone subscriptions. Connecting the entire world.

# 2 Printing Press

Since the beginning of languages, the written script has followed mankind. Writing captured stories that previously passed down orally for years. Scrolls and books helped share that information beyond borders, yet painstakingly they had to all be copied by hand which stalled the advancement of the global IQ. In 1439 in Germany, Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press which started the printing revolution. Books became common possessions, literacy became a norm, and over 130 million books have been printed thus expanding the growing knowledge of mankind.

# 1 The Internet

Combining static information with technology, the internet came to life in the early 1960s to help computers connect and share information with one another. By the turn of the century, the general public got online with advancements in messaging, search, and digital information. By putting information at anyone’s fingertips, global innovation has skyrocketed. The internet has been integrated with daily lives and products which has revolutionized how mankind lives and works.

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