The Four Greatest Inventions of the 90s

The 1990s is best known as the era of digital technology breakthroughs. Cassette-based Walkmans were exchanged for light, portable CD players at the end of the 20th century,

And as pagers became increasingly popular, the demand for even easier and faster communication with people grew. Soon, new forms of connectivity were under development, and upon their release, the world was ushered into a new technological era. Since then, innovation and revolution in the world of technology grows more dazzling by the day.

The World Wide Web

Creative engineering, vintage illustration of the head of a man with an electronic circuit board for a brain, 1949. Screen print. (Illustration by GraphicaArtis/Getty Images) — GraphicaArtis/GettyImages

The first major invention of the 90s turned out to be the biggest and most influential. In 1990, British programmer Tim Berners-Lee spearheaded the development of a global information system based on a “web” of hyperlinked documents that include graphics, audio, and video. The technology was phenomenal, allowing the transmission of data via mobile devices and computers.

The first website launched on December 20th, 1990, was basic, mainly composed of NeXT Computer, a traditional workstation system used by Berners-Lee to run the world’s first web browser.

DVDs

A shopper tests a DVD player on display at The Wiz. (Photo by James Leynse/Corbis via Getty Images) — James Leynse/GettyImages

From the bulky VHS tapes of the 80s to the MultiMedia Compact Disc of the early 90s, the quest for better quality in digital media continued. CD Video (CDV) and Video CD (VCD) battled for market share. Then giant tech companies like Apple, Microsoft, and IBM joined forces and agreed that none of them would support either format.

This pact resulted in the integration of both technologies to make the Digital Versatile Disc (DVD). This technology gives the viewers an amazing experience of their favorite films.

Text Messaging (SMS)

LONDON - JUNE 24: A man writes a text message on his mobile phone whilst driving in traffic on June 24, 2003 in London, England. The government has announced plans for a ban on talking on hand-held mobile phones while driving; this will go into effect by the end of the year. (Photo by Bruno Vincent/Getty Images) — Bruno Vincent/GettyImages

While cellular phones had been around since the 1970s, these devices only went mainstream during the late ‘90s. And as mobile phones became a necessity, tech experts started to upgrade these gadgets with advanced features and functionality.

In 1992, one feature rose to prominence in mobile communication. Developer Neil Papworth sent the very first SMS (text) message (that simply said “Merry Christmas”) to Richard Jarvis at Vodafone. Nowadays, people across the globe exchange text messages for personal and business matters.

MP3s

BERLIN, GERMANY - DECEMBER 01: Red Beats by Dre headphones are seen on display behind iPod Nanos at the Apple Store on December 1, 2014 in Berlin, Germany. On World AIDS Day, December 1, Apple is donating a portion of sales at the company — Adam Berry/GettyImages

The ‘90s also welcomed digital music through a popular format called MP3. This technology came after the Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) gathered in 1988 to work on standards for audio encoding. The development of the format took place at the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany.

Engineer Karlheinz Brandenburg was considered the “father of the MP3” and the track that was selected to encode the very first MP3 was "Tom's Diner" by Suzanne Vega. The rest, as they say, is history. MP3 players sold like hotcakes the moment they were released.