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1995: USB cable -

Introduced to us by Intel, the USB cable is like a lifeline for our technology, connecting our devices to one another and to power.

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1994: Genetically modified food (GMOs) -

Today, many packaged foods proudly proclaim they don’t contain any GMOs, but in 1994 a company called Calgene was pretty excited to introduce the very first genetically modified foods to the consumer market.

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1993: Beanie Babies -

Kids, and adults, couldn’t get enough of the Beanie Babies, which made their debut in 1993. Distributed by Ty, Inc., there were nine animals in the original collection.

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1992: Birth control shot -

In 1992, American women got another birth control option when the FDA approved Depo-Provera. The hormonal shot is 99% effective for preventing pregnancy for up to three months.

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1991: First web page -

The first web page was invented by English computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee. The site was set up to tell people what the web was all about.

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1990: Digital camera -

The Dycam Model 1 was an exciting invention at the time because it could store your photos digitally and connect to a PC. The 1993 model is pictured here.

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1989: World Wide Web -

Before creating the first web page, Berners-Lee invented the actual web while he was at CERN (the European Organization for Nuclear Research). It was originally developed for scientists to share information with other researchers around the world.

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1988: Photoshop -

Photoshop was developed by American brothers Thomas and John Knoll, who later sold the distribution license to Adobe Systems Incorporated.

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1987: Disposable contact lenses -

The first plastic contact lenses were created in 1936, but Acuvue released the first disposable contacts in 1987.

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1986: Disposable cameras -

Fujifilm introduced the first disposable camera: the Fujicolor QuickSnap. A million cameras were purchased the first year they were released.

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1985: DNA testing -

In 1985, police started using DNA in criminal investigations. Genetic testing via skin, hair, blood, and other samples of bodily fluids has today become the most reliable way to use physical evidence found at a crime scene.

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1984: Nicotine patch -

The nicotine patch was invented by pharmacologist Murray Jarvik and other researchers at UCLA. However, it only hit the market in 1992.

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1983: Consumer camcorder -

In 1983, Sony introduced the Betamovie BMC-100P, which recorded on Betamax tapes. That same year, Sony were upstaged by similar camcorders that used the more versatile and new VHS tapes.

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1982: Artificial heart -

William DeVries implanted the first successful permanent artificial heart in 1982. The patient, Barney Clark, lived for 112 days after the procedure.

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1981: Artificial skin -

In 1981, doctors at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston successfully used artificial skin made from cowhide, shark cartilage, and plastic to replace skin on burn victims. Created by surgeon John Burke, this medical breakthrough helped protect the patient from infection and dehydration.

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1980: Modern fax machine -

The basic fax machine was invented back in 1842. However, the first modern fax machine was released in 1980 in Japan.

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1979: Sony Walkman -

On July 1, 1979, Sony introduced to the world a compact cassette tape player: the Sony Walkman. In 1988, a yellow, water-resistant version hit stores.

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1978: Email -

In 1978, Shiva Ayyadurai was 14 and working as a research fellow at the University of Medicine and Dentistry in New Jersey. That's when he claims he invented an electronic-messaging platform. He also holds the first copyright for software known as "EMAIL." However, others credit computer programmer Ray Tomlinson, who in 1971 used text-based messaging on computers via ARPANET with an "@" symbol.

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1977: In vitro fertilization (IVF) -

The first successful IVF procedure, which is when an egg is fertilized outside the womb and surgically implanted back in the uterus, took place in 1977. The following year, Louise Brown was born.

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1976: Word-processing -

The Electric Pencil word-processing software, created for the Altair computer, came out in 1976. More than 400 other word-processing programs have been created since, including Microsoft Word and Google Docs.

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1975: Personal computer -

The first computer kit that people could use at home, the Altair 8800 came out in 1975. The following year, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak founded Apple and released the Apple I computer.

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1974: Post-it Notes -

Spencer Silver was working as a chemist at 3M and experimenting with ways to make a better adhesive. He was then approached by his colleague, Art Fry, and together they invented Post-it Notes. In 1980, 3M released the wildly successful product to the market.

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1973: Cell phone -

On April 3, 1973, Motorola employee Martin Cooper used a prototype of the Motorola DynaTAC 8000x, the first commercial cell phone, to make a call from New York to New Jersey. However, it would take another couple of decades for cell phones to reach consumers.

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1972: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) -

In 1972, Raymond Damadian filed for a patent for his magnetic resonance imaging machine. A medical breakthrough, an MRI machine can identify diseases in the body and even measure thought activity in the brain.

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1971: Floppy disk drive -

While the first floppy disks were invented in 1967, they only went on sale in 1971. The disks allowed people to load operating systems and other software programs onto their personal computers.

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1970: Fiber optics -

In 1966, physicist Charles K. Kao made a breakthrough when he calculated how to transmit light over long distances using optical glass fibers. He realized that fiber optics could transmit light signals much faster than copper wires or radio waves.

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1969: The Concorde -

Twice as fast as the speed of sound, the Concorde started test flights in Toulouse, France. However, it wasn’t until 1976 that this type of aircraft became available for commercial passengers. The Concorde enjoyed its last commercial flight in 2003 from New York to London.

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1968: Jacuzzi -

Appropriately named after its inventor, Roy Jacuzzi, the first of its kind basically looked like a bathtub with an internal whirlpool system to make bubbles.

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1967: Handheld calculator -

Texas Instruments invented the first electronic handheld calculator in 1967. It could add, subtract, multiply, and divide.

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1966: Mammogram -

The first dedicated mammography machine came out in 1966. While the machine obviously can't prevent breast cancer, it can help with early detection.

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1965: Kevlar -

Invented by chemist Stephanie Kwolek, Kevlar is stronger than steel and was originally created as an alternative material for tires. Today, it's used in the likes of bulletproof vests and the boots of firefighters.

Sources: (Stacker) (Reader's Digest)

See also: The biggest news story from the year you were born

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