15 Inventions from the '50s That We Still Rely on Today
Neill Lynskey
Published
03/26/2025
in
Science & Technology
The 1950s were a gigantic leap forward for technology, ushering in inventions we still use today.
Once the advancements pioneered throughout World War II could be utilized during peacetime, society started to change rapidly. Suddenly, the world had private jets, credit cards, revolutionary vaccines, and the favorite invention of lazy gluttons everywhere, the microwave.
We take these things for granted now, but back then, this technology was a mind-bogglingly big step into the future.
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1. The Hard Drive
The first hard drive was introduced by IBM in 1956. -
2. Fortran Programming Language
In 1957, IBM introduced Fortran (Formula Translation), one of the first high-level programming languages. -
3. Velcro
Inspired by burrs sticking to his clothes, Swiss engineer George de Mestral invented Velcro in 1955. -
4. Solar Cell
In 1954, Bell Labs developed the first practical solar cell. -
5. Microwave Oven
Although microwave cooking was first discovered in the 1940s, Raytheon introduced the first commercial microwave oven, the Radarange, in 1954. -
6. Polio Vaccine
Dr. Jonas Salk developed the first effective polio vaccine in 1953, drastically reducing polio cases worldwide. -
7. Transistor Radio
Texas Instruments and Regency introduced the first commercially available transistor radio in 1954. -
8. Artificial Heart Valve
In 1952, Dr. Charles Hufnagel developed the first artificial heart valve, successfully implanting it in a human patient. -
9. The Bar Code
Invented by Joseph Woodland and Bernard Silver, the first barcode system was patented in 1952. -
10. Credit Card
In 1950, the Diners Club introduced the first modern credit card, allowing users to make purchases without cash. -
11. Jet Airliner
The Boeing 707 became the first commercially successful jet airliner in 1958. -
12. Color Television
RCA introduced the NTSC color TV system in 1953. -
13. Flight Black Box
Australian chemist David Warren invented the first flight tracking device after a series of plane crashes. -
14. The First Commercial Computer
The UNIVAC I, was introduced in 1951 by J. Presper Eckert and John Mauchly. -
15. Super Glue
Discovered during World War II, Super Glue was officially developed and introduced by Dr. Harry Coover at Eastman Kodak in 1951.
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Replay - 15 Inventions from the '50s That We Still Rely on Today
The Hard Drive
The first hard drive was introduced by IBM in 1956.
The first hard drive was introduced by IBM in 1956.
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