15 Technological Advancements from the '70s That Changed the World
Neill Lynskey
Published
03/29/2025
in
Science & Technology
The 1970s had a lot more going on than just disco, Nixon, and hippies.
Some of the most important pieces of technology still in use today were pioneered throughout the decade. The early internet, the first space station, and even self-driving cars were all born in the 1970s and kickstarted the tech revolution.
Take a look into the past and see what the innovators of the seventies brought into reality.
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1. The Early Internet
The Transmission Control Program, a network of computers, was established in 1974 by the United States Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. It served as one of the earliest building blocks of the internet. -
2. First Cell Phone
Engineer Martin Cooper made the first mobile phone call in 1973. -
3. First self-driving car
The first self-driving car was developed in 1977 by the Tsukuba Mechanical Engineering Laboratory. -
4. The first video game console
The Magnavox Odyssey was demonstrated May 24, 1972 and later released by Magnavox and sold for $100.00 USD. -
5. The first laser printer
Developed at Xerox PARC in 1971. -
6. Home Videotape Systems
In 1975, the first VCR’s were developed in Japan by Sony (Betamax) and Matsushita (VHS). -
7. The first PC you could build in your home
The Altair home computer kit went on sale in 1974, which allowed consumers to build and program their own personal computers. -
8. Supercomputers
Cray Research introduced the first supercomputer, the Cray-1, in 1976, which could perform 230,000,000 calculations per second. -
9. Floppy Disks
IBM engineers developed the floppy disk for information sharing in 1971, and in 1974 personal computers emerged — they were affordable, easily-understandable and (for the time) powerful. -
10. Personal Computers
The 1970s saw the emergence of personal computers, with notable models like the Apple II, TRS-80, and Commodore PET. -
11. Microchips
The development of the first general-purpose microprocessor, the Intel 4004, in 1971, was a major breakthrough, paving the way for smaller, more powerful computers. -
12. The First Space Station
Salyut 1 was the first space station launched by the Soviet Union on April 19, 1971. -
13. The First Touch Screen
The first touch screen was developed by CERN in 1973. -
14. The First Email
Ray Tomlinson created text-based messaging between company computers through the network ARPANET in 1971 by using the "@" symbol to route messages. -
15. The first Apple computer
Developed by Stephen Wozniak and Steve Jobs in 1976.
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The Early Internet
The Transmission Control Program, a network of computers, was established in 1974 by the United States Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. It served as one of the earliest building blocks of the internet.
The Transmission Control Program, a network of computers, was established in 1974 by the United States Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. It served as one of the earliest building blocks of the internet.
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