6 Important Inventions That Changed The World Forever

Think about the last time you used your smartphone, hopped in your car, or flipped on a light switch. It’s easy to take these everyday conveniences for granted, but there once was a time when there were no phones, only horses and buggies, and light came solely from candles or the sun. Which inventions are the best of all time? Everyone’s opinion differs, but we’ve looked at nine websites to develop a list of what the experts say are the greatest inventions of all time. We compile our lists by combing through existing expert rankings and weeding out the most mentioned. The answers may surprise you! Do you agree or disagree? Comment below.

What are the Best Inventions of All Time?

1. The Wheel

Imagine a world without cars, planes, trains, or anything that requires a wheel. Before the wheel was invented in 3500 B.C., we couldn’t transport much over land. The tricky part wasn’t the wheel itself but connecting it to a stable platform. As David Anthony from Hartwick College explained to Live Science, the real genius was the wheel-and-axle concept, which required perfectly round holes and strong axles.

Many think the wheel is the greatest invention because it revolutionized how we move people and things. The Mesopotamians invented it for pottery, and it took 300 years to attach it to a chariot. We often overlook this essential piece of engineering today, but the wheel-and-axle transformed transportation and haulage, as Cad Crowd explains.

This game-changer for agriculture, trade, and transportation became the basis of many modern technologies. Originating from rolling objects on tree trunks, according to Pickvisa, the oldest record of the wheel is a Sumerian pictogram from 3500 B.C.

2. Printing Press

Books and other printed materials would still be created by hand without the invention of the printing press which comes in at number two on our list. German inventor Johannes Gutenberg created the printing press between 1440 and 1450, using a new hand mold technique to produce metal movable type quickly. This revolutionized book production and spread knowledge rapidly, so says Live Science.

The printing press launched the original Information Age, making knowledge as accessible as sunlight and as affordable as ever. Thanks to this invention — groundbreaking works like the Bible could be widely read and shared. According to ScienceABC, this revolutionized the spread of information, transforming how we learn and communicate.

According to Interesting Engineering, woodblock printing dates back to the 9th century in China, but Gutenberg’s press improved on this idea and introduced it to the West. By 1500, 20 million books and pamphlets were being produced in Western Europe thanks to his innovation.

3. Lightbulb

Thank goodness Thomas Edison never gave up on trying to invent the lightbulb or we would still be reading by candlelight. Famous Scientists notes Joseph Swan created the light bulb in 1860, but since it glowed only for a few hours, Edison is credited with inventing the modern light bulb.

Not only did the lightbulb bring electricity into our homes, but it had an unexpected impact on our sleep patterns. Before, people went to bed at nightfall and slept in segments, with periods of wakefulness in between, according to Live Science. Now, we stay up later and aim for a solid seven to eight hours of uninterrupted sleep.

Pickvisa agrees the lightbulb is one of the most useful and important inventions ever. Edison developed a way to use electricity to illuminate carbonized threads inside an air-evacuated bulb, creating a lasting light source, and revolutionizing how we live.

4. Compass

Number four on our list is the compass. It was invented in China during the Han dynasty, but not used for navigation until the Song Dynasty. Before that, ancient mariners used the stars but that didn’t work well on cloudy nights or during the day. The compass was made of lodestone, a naturally magnetized iron ore, whose attractive properties had been studied for centuries, notes Live Science. Once the technology spread to the west, mariners could navigate safely day or night.

With GPS now leading the way, the compass has taken a back seat in navigation. But let’s not forget its crucial role in early land and sea exploration. Used in China around 300-200 B.C.E., the compass guided us through the Age of Discovery. Cad Crowd points out it helped European countries amass wealth and power, paving the way for the Industrial Revolution. According to Interesting Engineering, the first written description of sailors using a magnetized needle is in a European book written in 1190. By that time, it’s believed using a compass was commonplace.

5. Telephone

You can thank Alexander Graham Bell in part for the smartphone in your pocket today. He was awarded the first patent for the electric telephone on March 7, 1876, and made the first call to his assistant three days later. According to Live Science, Bell’s inspiration came from his family, with his father’s work in speech elocution and his wife’s and mother’s experiences with hearing loss.

Though Alexander Graham Bell’s phone was very different from today’s smartphones, his invention paved the way for essential technology, and Inc. calls it the greatest invention of all time, which is hard to disagree with. The original telephone revolutionized global communication and business by converting the human voice into electronic signals. Pickvisa notes the original phone was just as indispensable as smartphones are now.

6. Penicillin

A medical invention that has saved countless lives rounds out our list! Most of us have taken penicillin to clear up an infection, but before 1928, it didn’t exist. Alexander Fleming’s discovery of mold-killing bacteria in a Petri dish led to penicillin’s development. By 1944, it was mass-produced and used by WWII servicemen, according to Live Science.

Tom Triumph points out that the first patient treated with US-made penicillin in 1942 used half the total supply, but by 1945, the U.S. was producing 646 billion units per year. The first ad posted after mass production read: “Thanks to PENICILLIN …He will come home.” Pickvisa believes this is further proof that penicillin is one of the best inventions of all time.

Sources used to create our list:

• Live Science
• Cad Crowd
• Tom Triumph
• Boss Magazine
• Pick VISA
• Inc
• Science ABC
• Famous Scientists
• Interesting Engineering

Note: This article was not paid for nor sponsored. StudyFinds is not connected to nor partnered with any of the brands mentioned and receives no compensation for its recommendations. This article may contain affiliate links in which we receive a commission if you make a purchase.