In shortNumber 1 in our ranking is The movable-type printing press, followed by The wheel and The steam engine.
The inventions that changed the world transformed how we live, work and communicate. We weighed how many people benefited, how long they have been with us and how many other advances they made possible.
Which would you put first? Vote below or add the one we missed.
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We'll publish the readers' ranking once there are enough votes for it to be representative.
1. The movable-type printing press
Johannes Gutenberg · c. 1450
It made books cheaper and let ideas spread as never before, from the Reformation to the Scientific Revolution. China had movable type centuries earlier, but Gutenberg's system was the one that spread worldwide.
2. The wheel
Mesopotamia · c. 3500 BC
Transport, pottery and almost all machinery depend on it. It is so basic that it's hard to imagine the world without it.
3. The steam engine
Improved by James Watt · 1769
It powered factories, trains and ships, and drove the Industrial Revolution. The modern economy started with it.
4. Electricity in the home
Edison and Swan's light bulb · 1879
The practical light bulb and electrical grids changed working hours, cities and factories. Almost every later invention depends on a plug.
5. The internet
From 1969 · The web in 1989
It connects billions of people and has changed work, commerce and information. Few technologies have spread so fast.
6. The telephone
Patented by Alexander Graham Bell · 1876
It made real-time conversation at a distance possible. Its heir, the mobile phone, is now one of the most widespread devices on the planet.
7. The aeroplane
The Wright brothers · 1903
The first controlled powered flight lasted only seconds. Half a century later, jets were linking continents in hours.
8. The computer
From ENIAC (1945) to the personal computer
It went from filling a room to fitting in a pocket. Today it underpins science, the economy and almost every daily activity.
9. The compass
China · Used for navigation from the 11th century
It made it possible to sail far from the coast. Without it, the great voyages of exploration would never have happened.
10. The vaccine
Edward Jenner · 1796
Jenner showed that smallpox could be prevented. Thanks to vaccines, smallpox was declared eradicated in 1980, and other diseases are close behind.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most important invention in history?
In our ranking, the printing press, because it allowed knowledge to multiply and reach everyone. The wheel and the steam engine complete the podium.
Why isn't penicillin on the list?
Because it was a discovery, not an invention. You'll find it in our ranking of the greatest scientific discoveries.
Would you change the order?
Tell us what's missing, what shouldn't be here or what you'd put at number 1.