Tech & Science · 1915
Relativity, Radio Waves, and War-Era Innovation
In 1915, humanity expanded its intellectual horizons through ground-breaking physics and global communications while world conflict reshaped engineering priorities. Amid the backdrop of World War I, scientists laid the foundations for modern cosmology, aviation, and synthetic materials.
- November 1915 | Physics
Einstein's Theory of General Relativity
Albert Einstein presented his revolutionary field equations to the Prussian Academy of Sciences, forever changing humanity's understanding of gravity, space, and time.
- January 25, 1915 | Telecommunications
First Transcontinental Telephone Call
Alexander Graham Bell in New York spoke with Thomas Watson in San Francisco over a 3,400-mile circuit, marking the dawn of coast-to-coast voice communications.
- December 12, 1915 | Aviation
Junkers J 1 All-Metal Airplane Flight
Hugo Junkers demonstrated the world's first practical, fully metal aircraft, pioneering a design revolution away from wood and fabric biplanes.
- March 3, 1915 | Aeronautics
Establishment of NACA
The United States Congress created the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics to promote flight research, creating the institutional foundation for NASA.
- October 21, 1915 | Wireless Radio
First Transatlantic Radio Voice Transmission
Engineers at AT&T successfully beamed human voice across the Atlantic Ocean from Virginia to the Eiffel Tower in Paris using high-power vacuum tubes.
- 1915 | Materials Science
Introduction of Pyrex Glass
Corning Glass Works launched Pyrex, a borosilicate glass resistant to thermal shock that transformed laboratory chemistry equipment and home kitchenware.
- 1915 | Applied Physics
Langevin's Piezoelectric Sonar
French physicist Paul Langevin invented an ultrasound submarine-detection transducer using quartz crystals, launching the field of modern sonar technology.
- November 1915 | Film Technology
Founding of the Technicolor Corporation
Herbert Kalmus and partners established Technicolor, introducing a revolutionary two-color motion picture process that eventually transformed the film industry.
Enjoyed your trip back in time?