The year 1957 was one of the most fruitful years for inventions with a range of gadgets that would either take on the world in their own right or become the fore-runner to new technologies that help run our world today.

• Programming language Fortran

Fortran was developed as a general purpose programming language by IBM aimed at scientific and engineering applications. It was one of the original “high-level programming” languages that made it easier to program rather than going straight to assembly code, which most engineers preferred because of its greater speed. However it was in April 1957 that the first optimising compiler for Fortran was released, allowing users to program using high-level language and then use the compiler to produce tight, compact assembly code ready for high-speed processing.

• Photolithography

Invented in April 1957, photolithography was developed by Dr. Jay W. Lathrop and James R. Nall to create transistors and other components directly onto a substrate surface, creating the first electronic components without hand manufacture. It was the forerunner to micro- and nanolithography used by computer chip giants such as IBM and Intel to create today’s highly complex computer chips.

• Bubble wrap

The material that packages the world was developed by Alfred Fielding and Marc Chavennes in 1957. It is said it was invented by accident as the two engineers were trying to develop a textured plastic wallpaper that could easily be cleaned. The term “Bubble Wrap” is actually a trademark owned by Sealed Air, the company started by Fielding and Chavennes. It’s probably also fair to say that without bubble wrap, eBay would probably cease to exist…

• Sublimation printing

The process used by many of the world’s 6x4-inch photo printers was developed by Noel De Plasse in 1957. Originally called “transfer printing”, the process was used to print directly onto fabric by heating and fusing solid ink directly into the fibres of the fabric. The process was refined and used to print photos. “Sublimation” is the process of heating the ink until it turns directly into gaseous form. In photo printing, it’s at this point that the ink fuses to the paper.

• Wearable pacemaker

The world’s first wearable device for monitoring and regulating heart function was invented by Earl Bakken, an electronics repairman when asked by physician C. Walton Lillehei to redesign the machine he used to restore patient’s heartbeats after surgery. (http://technolog.it.umn.edu/technolog/novdec99/pacemaker1.jpg)

Today, pacemakers are now installed inside the body and look a little more user-friendly than the original model.

• Double-coil humbucking pickup

One of the great revolutionary devices in modern music was the double-coil humbucking pickup, developed by Gibson Electronics. This device, used to pick up the sound of electric guitar strings, uses double coils to help cancel hum and electrical noise as well as increase the audio output. Next time you listen to your favourite heavy rock group, the chances are they’ll be using double-coil “humbucker” pickups on their guitars. Not bad for a 50-year old invention.

• Helvetica font

The font that launched millions of Apple computers around the world was developed in 1957 by Swiss graphic designer Max Miedinger and is arguably the world’s best known san-serif font. It is regarded by some that the TrueType font, Arial, used by Microsoft in Windows 3.1, is a redesign of the original Helvetica font. While Microsoft went with Arial, Apple chose Helvetica.

• The Wankel Rotary Engine

The engine that launched millions of Mazda RX7 and other makes of car was developed in February 1957 by German engineer Felix Wankel. Using a unique rotor injection/ignition chamber, the “rotary engine” generated considerably more power in a smaller block size than any other car engine of its day. A descendent of the original DKM 54 prototype called the Renesis engine powers the current model Mazda RX8.

• Visible spectrum LASER

Short for “Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation”, the original idea of the Laser is widely (but not universally) credited to a graduate student of Columbia University, Gordon Gould in November 1957. Gould invented one of the most important parts of the laser, the optical resonator using two mirrors to produce the narrow beam of intense light recognised as the laser beam. Although the first working model would not be completed until 1960 and had included work begun years previous starting with Albert Einstein, the idea of the laser is regarded as based on Gould’s 1957 notes. As with most famous inventions, the title of who did invent the laser is debated between Gould and his university professor and Maser inventor, Charles Towne.

• Thyristor

The first power semiconductor, the thyristor is effectively two bipolar junction transistors connected in a modified “back to back” configuration. Able to control large currents with just a small signal, it was used in AC power control. Eventually, it was found that connecting two thyristors in an inverse parallel arrangement (effectively back-to-back) could allow full on/off control of AC power. The device became known as the TRIAC and has been since used in virtually every AC power controlling device from power drills to plasma TVs.