Communication Innovation

Defining Communication as Process

The Accelerating Pace of

Communication Innovation

3000+ BC	Sumerians and Phoenicians invent writing.	1936	London Television Service begins regular broadcasts.
900	China institutes world’s first postal service.	1963	First communications satellite launched.
776	Homing pigeons deliver news from Olympic Games to Athens.	1969	ARPANET (Internet’s forerunner) established.
300	World’s first great library established in Alexandria, Egypt.	1972	First e-mail sent using @ in address.
200	Fire signals and human messengers relay messages across Egypt and China.	1973	First cell phone call.
105 AD	Paper invented in China.	1975	World’s first microcomputer, the Altair 8800, goes on sale.
868	First surviving printed book (China).	1981	IBM announces the its first Personal Computer.
1450	Printing press with moveable metal type makes mass communication possible.	1992	First text message sent.
1605	First newspaper printed in Germany.	1994	Personal blogging begins.
1620	Spain develops sign language.	1996	Instant Messaging developed.
1843	Long-distance electric telegraph begins.	1997	SixDegrees.com the first social network, becomes available.
1876	Telephone first demonstrated.	2005	YouTube.com appears online.
1920	First commercial radio broadcast.	2006	Twitter launches.
		2009	Smartphone sales top 170 million units.
		2010	iPad enhances mobile computing and communication.

Source:  Alusine M. Kanu in Pearson, J.C. et al. (2011). Human Communication, New York: McGraw Hill.