Technology is an integral part of our daily lives. We use it to communicate, learn, work, entertain, and more. But how did we get here? How long has it been since some of the most influential technologies were invented or popularized?

How Technology Has Changed Our Lives in the Past Century

Here, we will take a look at some of the firsts in technology history and see how much they have changed our lives in the past century.

First Telephone

The first successful telephone call was made by Alexander Graham Bell on March 10, 1876. He spoke to his assistant, Thomas Watson, and said, “Mr. Watson, come here, I want to see you.” The telephone revolutionized long-distance communication and paved the way for the development of other voice-based technologies.

First Pager

The first pager, also known as a beeper, was invented by Alfred J. Gross in 1949. It was a radio device that could send short messages to a receiver. Pagers became popular in the 1980s and 1990s, especially among doctors, emergency workers, and teenagers. Pagers were eventually replaced by cell phones and smartphones, which could send and receive more complex messages and data.

First Email Sent

The first email was sent by Ray Tomlinson in 1971. He used the @ symbol to separate the user name and the host name, which is still the standard format for email addresses today. He sent the email to himself, and it contained the text “QWERTYUIOP”. Email is now one of the most widely used forms of communication, both for personal and professional purposes.

First Text Message

The first text message, also known as SMS (short message service), was sent by Neil Papworth on December 3, 1992. He used a computer to send the message “Merry Christmas” to a mobile phone. The recipient was Richard Jarvis, an executive at Vodafone. Text messaging is now one of the most popular and convenient ways to communicate, especially among younger generations.

First ICQ Message

The first ICQ message was sent by Yair Goldfinger in 1996. ICQ, which stands for “I seek you”, was the first instant messaging service that allowed users to chat online in real time. It was created by four Israeli programmers: Yair Goldfinger, Arik Vardi, Sefi Vigiser, and Amnon Amir. ICQ was later acquired by AOL and became one of the most popular chat platforms in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

First Tweet

The first tweet was posted by Jack Dorsey on March 21, 2006. He wrote, “just setting up my twttr”. Twitter is a social media platform that allows users to post short messages, or tweets, of up to 280 characters. Twitter has become one of the most influential and powerful sources of information, news, entertainment, and social commentary in the world.

First ChatGPT Chat

The first ChatGPT chat was initiated by OpenAI in 2022. ChatGPT is a conversational artificial intelligence system that can generate natural and engaging responses to human inputs. It is based on a large-scale neural network model called GPT-3, which can learn from a vast amount of text data. ChatGPT is one of the most advanced and impressive examples of natural language processing and generation.

First GIF

The first GIF (graphics interchange format) was created by Steve Wilhite in 1987. It was a simple image of a plane flying in the sky. GIF is a file format that can store and display animated images. GIFs are widely used on the internet to convey emotions, reactions, humor, and more.

First YouTube Video

The first YouTube video was uploaded by Jawed Karim on April 23, 2005. It was a 19-second clip of him at the San Diego Zoo, titled “Me at the zoo”. YouTube is a video-sharing platform that allows users to upload, watch, and comment on videos. YouTube has become one of the most popular and diverse sources of entertainment, education, and culture in the world.

First Reddit Post

The first Reddit post was submitted by Alexis Ohanian on June 23, 2005. It was a link to a news article about the Downing Street memo, a document that revealed the British government’s involvement in the Iraq war. Reddit is a social news and discussion platform that allows users to post and vote on content from various topics and communities. Reddit has become one of the most active and influential online communities in the world.

First Smartphone

The first smartphone, also known as a PDA (personal digital assistant), was the IBM Simon. It was released in 1992 and had features such as a touchscreen, email, calendar, calculator, and games. It could also make and receive phone calls, but it was bulky and expensive. Smartphones are now ubiquitous and essential devices that can perform various functions, such as browsing the internet, taking photos, playing music, using apps, and more.

First TikTok Video

The first TikTok video was posted by Zhang Yiming in 2016. It was a short video of him dancing to a song. TikTok is a social media app that allows users to create and share short videos, often with music, filters, and effects. TikTok has become one of the most popular and viral apps among young people, especially in China and India.

First Search Engine

The first search engine, also known as a web crawler, was Wandex. It was created by Matthew Gray in 1988. It was a program that could index and search the web pages that existed at the time. Wandex was followed by other early search engines, such as Archie, Veronica, and Lycos. Search engines are now indispensable tools that help us find information, products, services, and more on the internet.

First Google Search

The first Google search was performed by Larry Page and Sergey Brin in 1996. They used their own search engine, which they called BackRub, to find information on the internet. BackRub later became Google, which is now the most dominant and widely used search engine in the world.

First Uber Order

The first Uber order was placed by Ryan Graves on July 5, 2010. He requested a ride from Garrett Camp, the co-founder of Uber, who was driving a black SUV. Graves later became the first employee and CEO of Uber. Uber is a ride-hailing service that allows users to book and pay for rides from drivers using their own vehicles. Uber has revolutionized the transportation industry and sparked the rise of the sharing economy.

First Airbnb Booking

The first Airbnb booking was made by Michael Seibel on August 11, 2008. He stayed at the apartment of Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia, the co-founders of Airbnb, who were renting out their spare room to make some extra money. Seibel later became the first employee and CEO of Airbnb. Airbnb is a lodging service that allows users to rent and host accommodations, such as rooms, apartments, houses, and more. Airbnb has disrupted the hospitality industry and created a global community of travelers and hosts.

Technology has changed our lives in the past century in many ways. It has enabled us to communicate, entertain, and transport ourselves in ways that were unimaginable before. It has also created new opportunities, challenges, and issues that we need to address and adapt to. Technology is constantly evolving and improving, and we can expect more changes and innovations in the future. The question is, how will we use technology to make our lives better?