Timeline Charts the Development of Communications Technology

Humans are unique because of our sophisticated ability to communicate with one another. What we’re doing right now is a perfect example. Chartistry is showing you the timeline created by the Ooma team who used data from universities and libraries to create a visual representation of changing communications technology. They communicate it to us through pictures and words expressed through pixels, brought to us all by the connective power of the Internet, allowing you to learn something new in a matter of minutes. That alone is an impressive feat of communication! So, how did such a complex system of communication become commonplace? Well, this timeline shows us. A series of pivotal inventions and developments brought us from the first cave paintings to the 5g phone in your pocket.

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The timeline starts in 100,000 BC and takes us all the way to present day, highlighting the most important communications technology with an image of each development, a description of why it made an impact, and the date it emerged. Along this long, winding path, we find inventions like the printing press. This creation allowed the written word to spread further and inspired more humans to learn to read. The telegram emerged centuries later inspiring the revolutionary first telephone in 1876.

After the telephone, radio waves opened all new avenues of communication by ushering in the age of radio broadcast and television, allowing humans to keep up with news all over the world. This concept was, of course, perfected by the Internet connecting humans on a global scale. This timeline highlights how deeply humans are driven to connect with each other.