INVENTIONS
OF THE 1950S
The hit inventions of the
1950s
OPTICAL FIBERS
„  Optical fibers were
invented in 1956.
Harold Hopkins and
Narinder Singh Kapany
who went to the
Imperial College,
London invented it.
They are used in fiberoptic communication,
which is superior to
other forms of
communication. The
optic fibers are capable
of up to 10 billion bits
of information per
second! They are also
used for medical and
industrial endoscopes.
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/
inventions-of-the-1950s.html
HOVERCRAFT
„  The hovercraft, also
known as the AirCushion Vehicle was
invented by Christopher
Cockerell in the early
1956s. The hovercraft
moves across a water
surface, which limits the
friction between the
water and the vehicle.
The hovercraft can
handle amphibious
terrain which makes it
reliable on military
purposes. The
hovercraft is still used
in some parts of
England.
http://links999.net/hovercraft/hovercraft_history.html
CREDIT CARD
„  The Diner’s Club
introduced the credit
card in 1950. American
Express later issued them
in 1958. You can use the
Credit Card to withdraw
cash from automated
teller machines, or to
purchase an item so that
they can pay for it at a
later date.
http://everythingmustgo.org/2011/01/08/the-card-that-started-itall/
VIDEO CASSETTE RECORDER
„  Invented in 1956, the
Video Cassette recorder
became popular. the
Vision Electronic
Recording Apparatus is
the first actual VCR to
be invented. But the
model introduced by
Ampex overrode the
VERA and became the
most popular VCR to be
used. The price was
$50,000 and was
unaffordable to
ordinary people. Most
television networks
used them. Primarily the
video recorder did was
recording and replaying
video and audio signals.
http://videopreservation.conservation-us.org/
museum/index.html
BARBIE DOLL
„  The Barbie Doll was
invented in 1959 by Ruth
Handler. Barbie was
first introduced at the
Toy Fair in New York City.
Barbie’s main job was to
be a teenage fashion
doll. But over time it has
been made to connect to
over 125 different
careers. The first year
Barbie came out 300,000
of them sold. The price
for a Barbie Doll was 3$
it first came out.
http://inventors.about.com/od/bstartinventions/
a/The-History-Of-Barbie-Dolls.htm
MR. POTATO HEAD
„  George Lerner of New
York City invented and
patented Mr. Potato Head
in 1952. Based on an
earlier toy called “make a
face” that used a real
potato. Lerner sold Mr.
Potato Head to the
Hassenfeld Brothers of
Rhode Island, who owned
Hasbro Inc., the toy
company. Instructions
were included that
suggested the use of
vegetables and fruits
instead of the Styrofoam.
http://www.mrpotatohead.net/1950/1950.htm
MUSICAL SYNTHESIZER
„  The Electronic Music
Synthesizer
manufactured by Radio
Corporation of
America in 1951
through 1952 was
much different from
the synthesizers in use
now. The major
difference being the
fact that the earliest
model did not produce
sounds in real time. It
was used more as a
composition machine.
The 1957 model,
however, was largely
used by many
composers.
http://tcmmastering.wordpress.com/2012/02/27/tcmmastering-home-music-studio-part-52-introducing-midi/
LIQUID PAPER
„  In 1956 Bette Nesmith
Graham who was a
Dallas secretary
invented liquid paper or
white out. Liquid paper
was used to cover up
mistake on paper or a
typewriter. She took a
tempera water based
paint and mixed it
together with colored
paint that matched to
paper. She took to her
station at her
secretary job and not
soon after that most of
the secretary's
throughout her
building were asking
for some of it to.
http://smarterthanmatt.blogspot.com/
2011_04_01_archive.html
CITES USED
„  Slide 1: Kietzman, Shannon, and Niki Foster. "What Are
Fiber-Optics?" WiseGeek. Conjecture. Web. 11 Apr. 2012.
<http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-fiber-optics.htm>.
„  Slide 2: "The History of Hovercraft and Air Cushion
Vehicles." Hovercraft History. Web. 11 Apr. 2012.
<http://links999.net/hovercraft/
hovercraft_history.html>.
„  Slide 3: "Who Invented Credit Cards?" About.com
Inventors. Web. 11 Apr. 2012. <http://
inventors.about.com/od/cstartinventions/a/
credit_cards.htm>.
„  Slide 4: Tree, Alex, and Melissa Wiley. "What Is a VCR?"
WiseGeek. Conjecture. Web. 11 Apr. 2012.
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-vcr.htm.
CITES USED
„  Slide 5: "The History of Barbie Dolls." About.com
Inventors. Web. 11 Apr. 2012. <http://
inventors.about.com/od/bstartinventions/a/The-HistoryOf-Barbie-Dolls.htm>.
„  Slide 6: "Mr Potato Head." About.com Inventors. Web. 11
Apr. 2012. <http://inventors.about.com/od/
pstartinventions/a/PotatoHead.htm>.
„  Slide 7: "TCM Mastering – Mastering Information and Tips
for Musicians." TCM Mastering. Web. 13 Apr. 2012. <http://
tcmmastering.wordpress.com/2012/02/27/tcm-masteringhome-music-studio-part-52-introducing-midi/>.
„  Slide 8: "Liquid Paper - Bette Nesmith Graham (1922-1980)."
About.com Inventors. Web. 13 Apr. 2012. <http://
inventors.about.com/od/lstartinventions/a/
liquid_paper.htm>.