A Historical Perspective
Some of the most innovative ideas have emerged during times of economic duress.
Jan 22, 2009
A Historical Perspective
View the slideshow version of this timeline.
The Great Depression
1930:3M pours profits into R&D, yielding Scotch tape.
1931:Sears Roebucks notes automobile’s popularity and creates Allstate auto insurance subsidiary.
1932:Revlon launches with long-lasting nail polish.
1933:Miracle Whip is born.
1934:Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom and Chicken Noodle soups are introduced.
1938:GE introduces fluorescent light bulb, which has twice the lifespan of incandescent but uses half the power.
1939:Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard establish Hewlett-Packard.
Eisenhower Recessions
1954:Texas Instruments introduces transistor radio.
1955:The first McDonald’s (owned by Ray Kroc) opens.
1958:Hello, Hula Hoop.
1960:Medtronic purchases the rights to produce an implantable pacemaker.
1961:Procter & Gamble tests Pampers disposable diapers.
Vietnam, Stagflation, Oil Crisis
1973:Revlon’s Charlie, designed for the working woman’s budget, is a hit.
1974:The first product with a UPC–a pack of gum–is scanned.
1974:Arthur Fry and Spencer Silver invent Post-it Notes; 3M introduces the product in 1980.
1975:Bill Gates and Paul Allen form Microsoft.
The Most Severe Recession Since The Great Depression (So Far)
1981:MTV hits the airwaves.
1982:Diet Coke makes its debut.
1983:California firm (later IDEO) designs Apple computer mouse.
1983:Microsoft introduces Word for MS-DOS 1.00.
Black Monday
1987:Ameritech spends 10 percent more on fiber optic and digital technologies than in 1986.
1987:Quark introduces QuarkXPress.
1987:The Food and Drug Administration approves the use of Prozac for treating depression.
Gulf War, Oil Prices Surge
1991:The World Wide Web and Apple PowerBook debut.
1992:Kali’s Bar is introduced. It becomes Clif Bar in 1997.
Dotcoms Implode, 9/11 Attacks
2000:Adam Lowry and Eric Ryan found Method Products.
2001:The iPod is unveiled; Orbitz.com goes live; X.com Corp., renamed PayPal, goes public; and XM Satellite Radio begins broadcasting.
2002:RIM introduces BlackBerry 5810.
View a slideshow of this timeline here.
A Historical Perspective
View the slideshow version of this timeline.
The Great Depression
1930:3M pours profits into R&D, yielding Scotch tape.
1931:Sears Roebucks notes automobile’s popularity and creates Allstate auto insurance subsidiary.
1932:Revlon launches with long-lasting nail polish.
1933:Miracle Whip is born.
1934:Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom and Chicken Noodle soups are introduced.
1938:GE introduces fluorescent light bulb, which has twice the lifespan of incandescent but uses half the power.
1939:Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard establish Hewlett-Packard.
Eisenhower Recessions
1954:Texas Instruments introduces transistor radio.
1955:The first McDonald’s (owned by Ray Kroc) opens.
1958:Hello, Hula Hoop.
1960:Medtronic purchases the rights to produce an implantable pacemaker.
1961:Procter & Gamble tests Pampers disposable diapers.
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