Apple’s iPhone is released
The original iPhone was described as “revolutionary” and a “game-changer” for the mobile phone industry.
Technology & innovation
Chinese developers unveiled the world’s first permanent Maglev wind turbine in Beijing
Regarded as a key breakthrough in the evolution of global wind power technology, the generator was jointly developed by Guangzhou Energy Research Institute and Guangzhou Zhongke Hengyuan Energy Science & Technology Co., Ltd.
Denmark completes world’s first ever offshore wind farm
Vindeby Offshore Wind Farm was the first offshore wind farm in the world, erected in 1991 off the coast of the town of Vindeby on the Danish island of Lolland. It was decommissioned for cost reasons in 2017 after 25 years of useful life.
The Fraunhofer Institut Integrierte Schaltungen in Germany begins research leading to invention of the MP3
By using MPEG audio coding, MP3s shrink down the original sound data from a CD by a factor of 12, without losing sound quality.
USSR launches Mir Space Station
Mir was the first modular space station and was assembled in orbit from 1986 to 1996. It had a greater mass than any previous spacecraft.
Steve Jobs introduces the first Macintosh computer
The original Macintosh was the first mass-market personal computer that featured a graphical user interface, built-in screen and mouse.
Chuck Hull invents stereolithography
Stereolithography is a form of 3D printing technology used for creating models, prototypes, patterns, and production parts in a layer by layer fashion using photopolymerization.
China builds its first major solar farm
China’s first 10kW civil photovoltaic power station, which is also the oldest existing photovoltaic power station in China, was built in Xiaocha Village, Yuanzi Township, Yuzhong County, Gansu Province, providing domestic electricity for 130 local households. After 40 years, the plant is still generating electricity at around 7 kW.
IBM releases Microsoft’s MS-DOS
MS-DOS was the main operating system for IBM PC compatible personal computers during the 1980s and the early 1990s.
U.S. Windpower installs the world’s first wind farm in New Hampshire
The world’s first wind farm stood on the north side of Crotched Mountain in southern New Hampshire, on land owned by the Crotched Mountain Rehabilitation Center, a hospital and school that serves individuals with disabilities and their families. It consisted of 20 30kW turbines – quite small by standards of the 2020s.