The Second Industrial Revolution
Electricity, steel, petroleum, and mass production transform daily life and make the United States and Germany the world's leading industrial powers.
Bell Patents the Telephone
Alexander Graham Bell's telephone begins the revolution in instantaneous long-distance communication.
Edison Demonstrates the Electric Light Bulb
Thomas Edison's practical incandescent lamp lights the way to the electrification of the world.
First Automobile Patented
Karl Benz patents the Motorwagen — the internal combustion engine will transform transportation, warfare, and urban life.
New Zealand Grants Women's Suffrage
New Zealand becomes the first self-governing country to grant women the vote — the beginning of universal suffrage worldwide.
Lumière Brothers Screen First Films
The birth of cinema in Paris marks the beginning of mass visual entertainment that will reshape culture worldwide.
Wright Brothers Achieve Powered Flight
Twelve seconds at Kitty Hawk launch the age of aviation that will transform transportation and warfare within a generation.
Ford Introduces the Model T
The car that will put America on wheels — Ford's affordable automobile demonstrates mass production's potential to transform daily life.
Ford Perfects the Moving Assembly Line
Assembly time for a Model T drops from 12 hours to 93 minutes — mass production is born, creating the modern consumer economy.