• Advancements in electronics are one of many significant achievements of the 20th century.surface mount image by Steve Mann from Fotolia.com
  
  The 20th century is best characterized as a period of rapid growth and innovation. Brilliant minds across a spectrum of disciplines completely revolutionized the human experience with their powerful ideas and products. Several inventions produced during this time have completely changed the arts, the economic practices of global powers and the social framework of entire cultures.
  
  

The Vinyl Record

• Prior to the invention and refinement of the vinyl record, archiving sound and music was an expensive and impractical proposition. Although the original "record" was created in 1888 by Emile Berliner, the commercially successful vinyl record was marketed to the public in the 1940s by Columbia Records. The growing popularity of the record helped firmly establish the music industry as an economically successful entity. The vinyl LP created by Columbia Records allowed for 20 to 30 minutes of recorded music to be pressed on each side.
  
  

The Atomic Bomb

• Originally created by the United States as a response to Germany's attempts at purifying uranium, the development of the atomic bomb signified the beginning of an entirely new area of warfare and national defense. The United States produced a viable atomic weapon in 1945 after years of testing by the Manhattan Project, a secret collective of scientists led in part by Robert Oppenheimer, technical director of the organization. Although the United States was the first country to successfully test and deploy an atomic weapon, several other countries began their own development programs, heralding the age of national superpowers. The power and portability of the weapon has encouraged the development of counterterrorism programs around the world.
  
  

The Credit Card

• The development of the credit card in the 1920s successfully paved the way towards banking practices and methods of commerce that we now use on a daily basis. The first credit cards were used solely as a method of selling fuel to automobile owners. In the 1950s, the concept of a single card being accepted by multiple vendors led to the creation of the Diner's Club charge card and, soon after, the American Express credit card. As time passed, the majority of banking institutions developed their own credit system. Modern technology allows for quick credit verification and flexible purchasing options.