Interesting Facts in the History of Communication

• 50% of the world population will never make a phone call.
• Novelest William Gibson coined the term “cyberspace” in his 1984 novel, Neuromancer
• Early computers took up 1,000 square ft. of floor space.
• The 1st commercially successful minicomputer sold for $18,000 1965.
• 1450 Johann Gutenburg invents a printing press with movable type
• 1839 invention of photography allows images to be recorded and printed
• 1877 Development of the phonograph allows sound to be recorded and preserved.
• 1889 Moving picture technology is invented.
• 1896 Guglielmo Marconi develops the wireless radio.
• 1928 Motion pictures with sound are introduced.
• 1965 The first international telecommunications satillite is launched (Intelsat)
• 1969 ARPANET computer network lays the foundation for the internet
• 1971 E-mail is invented and used on ARPANET
• 1973 1st international connection to ARPANET
• 1976 Apple introduces the 1st personal computer
• 1981 1st modem developed to transfer data (300 bps)
• 1990 WWW prototype created
• 1994 Yahoo Internet Index Created
• 1995 Dial-up Internet access is available in American households
• 1995 1st television program delivered over the Internet
• 2005 Blogs (Web Logs) gain prominence and influence in news coverage
• 2006 Podcasting emerges as a news source

Data from United States Department of State, Department of Public Affairs. November 2006.