History – innovations, inventions and discoveries

Famous inventions, discoveries and happenings throughout the centuries. The World Wide Web was introduced in 1989, the Beatles formed in 1959, steam power was invented in 50BC, the first known copyright was granted in 1486. Browse the most interesting brief history facts year by year:

| 2000 – 2099 | 1900 – 1999 | 1800 – 1899 | 1700 – 1799 | 1600 – 1699 | 1500 – 1599 | 1400 -1499 | 1300 – 1399 | 1200 – 1299 | 1100 – 1199 | 1000 – 1099 | 900 – 999 | 800 – 899 | 700 – 799 | 600 – 699 | 500 – 599 | 400 – 499 | 300 – 399 | 200 – 299 | 100 – 199 | 1 – 99 | Before Christ |

Who invented the radio?

It is reputed that Nathan B. Stubblefield, a farmer from Murray, Kentucky, made a voice transmission four years before anyone else. In 1892, Stubblefield handed his friend Rainey T. Wells a box and told him to walk away some distance. Wells said later: “I had hardly reached my post.. when I heard HELLO RAINEY come booming out of the receiver.” More about the History of Radio

Who was the first to fly?

At 10h35 on Friday 17 December 1903, Orville Wright took the Flyer that he and his brother Wilbur built into the air for what has come to be known as the first powered flight. Earlier, unbeknownst to them, Gustave Whitehead and Richard Pearse were also experimenting with flying machines. Who actually took first to the sky remains a controversy.

Running out of steam

Heron of Greece invented steam power in 50 BC. But the leaders of the day thought that it would cause unemployment which may lead to unrest and the invention, well, ran out of steam. There were many such untimely inventions.

Garde a l’eau!

It is often incorrectly quoted that the toilet was invented by a Mr Thomas Crapper in the 18th century. There was a Mr Crapper – he happened to be a successful plumber, appropriately. But who invented the toilet?

Mickey Mouse has a history

The first film animation was “Humorous Phases of Funny Faces” made in 1906 by American J. Stuart Blacton. But it was in 1919, when 18-year-old Walt Disney teamed up with Ub Iwerks, that the art of film animation took roots. They produced a series of cartoons entitled “Alice in Cartoonland.” The Walt Disney company was founded in 1923, and in 1927 Walt came up with the idea for an animated mouse called Mortimer Mouse. His wife Lillian convinced him to change it to Mickey Mouse.

Mickey debuted the same year in “Plane Crazy,” which was followed with “Galloping Goucho.” In 1928, Disney launched the first animation with synchronized sound, “Steamboat Willy”, with Walt as the voice of Mickey Mouse. In 1937, Disney won a special Oscar for the first full-length animation: “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.”

Not to be outdone, two other Americans, Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera, created Tom and Jerry in 1939. They went on to win their first Oscar for Yankee Doodle Mouse in 1943. Six more Oscars would follow for them. But it was a Disney company movie that won the first Best Picture Oscar for an animation, with “Beauty and the Beast” in 1991.

Walter Elisas Disney (12/5/1901 – 12/15/1966): “I only hope that we don’t lose sight of one thing – that it was all started by a mouse.”

Northern Ireland

A brief history but, after a thousand years, the longest dispute amongst peoples.

Kashmir

The land that has been called Heaven on Earth. But hell for its people.

Kosovo

Kosovo and the battered Balkans – the story behind the story.

History: gossip well told

History. It can enlighten or shame, cause laughter and tears. You cannot bring it back or wish it away. Might as well enjoy it!

Browse the interesting brief history facts: