| Name |
Date invented |
Invented by |
Original purpose |
Civilian uses |
|---|
| ASDIC |
1910s |
 United Kingdom
 France
|
Submarine detection |
Sonar |
| Radar |
mid-1930s |
United Kingdom[1][2] |
Early warning radar, air defence systems |
Air traffic control systems, microwave oven |
| Walkie-talkie |
1930s |
 Canada (Donald Hings)[3]
 United States (Alfred J. Gross, Motorola SCR-300)
|
Portable two-way radio communications system for military |
Portable radio communications – business, public safety, marine, amateur radio, CB radio |
| Night vision |
1939 - 1940s |
 Nazi Germany
United States |
Visibility for military personnel in low light situations |
Low light photography, surveillance |
| Duct tape |
1942 |
United States |
Sealing ammunition cases |
Multiple uses |
| Ballistic missiles |
1940s |
Nazi Germany
 Soviet Union
|
Long range attack |
Space exploration, launch of communication, weather and global positioning satellites |
| Darknet |
1990s |
United States
|
Anonymous/protected computer networking |
Used by journalists, political activists, scientists, etc. |
| Nuclear technology |
1940s |
United States
United Kingdom
Canada
(Manhattan Project) |
Nuclear weapons |
Nuclear medicine, nuclear power |
| Jet engine |
1940s |
Nazi Germany (Hans von Ohain)
United Kingdom (Frank Whittle) |
Jet fighters, jet bombers |
Airliners |
| Digital photography |
1960s |
 United States
 Soviet Union
|
Spy satellites, eliminated the need to recover deorbited film canisters |
Digital cameras |
|
| Compiler |
1952 |
United States |
Allow programs to be written for multiple target computers by different vendors without needing to rewrite the assembly for each of them. |
Compiler |
| Internet |
1960s - 1970s |
United States (ARPANET)[4]
United Kingdom (NPL network)[4]
 France (CYCLADES)[4] |
Reliable computer networking |
Led to invention of the World Wide Web by British scientist Tim Berners-Lee; subsequently widespread availability of information, telecommunication and electronic commerce |
| Rodriguez well |
1960s |
United States Army
|
Nuclear weapons and logistics, provide water supply for bases hidden in polar regions |
Colonization of Mars |
| Satellite navigation |
1970s |
United States Air Force
Soviet Union |
Nuclear weapons force multiplier, increased warhead accuracy through precise navigation |
Navigation, personal tracking |
| Sanitary napkins |
1920s |
United Kingdom
France |
Prevent bleeding using cellulose in bandages. |
British & American nurses picked up the bandages and started using them as Sanitary Napkins. |
