Tech & Science · 1907
Dawn of Plastics, Electronics, and Color Vision
In 1907, industrial innovation reshaped daily life and scientific inquiry through breakthroughs in synthetic materials and telecommunications. From the birth of electronics to early aviation milestones, researchers laid the fundamental foundations of the modern technological era.
- 1907 • Materials Science • USA
Bakelite Synthetic Plastic
Belgian-born chemist Leo Baekeland synthesized Bakelite, creating the world's first fully synthetic plastic and launching the modern polymer industry.
- January 15, 1907 • Electronics • USA
De Forest Audion Vacuum Tube
Lee de Forest received a patent for the Audion, a three-element vacuum tube that amplified electrical signals and sparked the electronics revolution.
- November 13, 1907 • Aviation • France
Paul Cornu's Helicopter Flight
French engineer Paul Cornu achieved the first piloted, free-flying rotary-wing flight, lifting his dual-rotor machine off the ground in Lisieux.
- 1907 • Photography • France
Autochrome Lumière Color Photography
The Lumière brothers brought color photography to the mass market with their innovative glass plate process using dyed potato starch grains.
- 1907 • Home Appliances • USA
Thor Electric Washing Machine
Designed by Alva J. Fisher and sold by the Hurley Machine Company, the Thor became the first commercially sold electric-powered washing machine.
- 1907 • Geochemistry • USA
Uranium-Lead Radiometric Dating
Chemist Bertram Boltwood introduced radiometric dating by measuring uranium decay into lead, proving Earth was hundreds of millions of years old.
- 1907 • Chemistry • France
Discovery of Lutetium
French chemist Georges Urbain successfully isolated element 71, naming the rare earth metal Lutetium after the ancient Roman name for Paris.
- 1907 • Television • Russia
Boris Rosing's CRT Television System
Russian scientist Boris Rosing patented a television system using a cathode-ray tube as a receiver, pioneering modern electronic visual displays.
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