1995 to 2025 - Key Milestones in Technology and Innovation

1995

  • Release of Windows 95 by Microsoft
  • Java programming language launched by Sun Microsystems
  • Internet Explorer 4.0 released by Microsoft
  • Launch of Amazon.com as an online retailer
  • Launch of the first online stock trading platform (E*Trade)
  • First version of Windows operating system to include the Start Menu (Windows 95)

1996

  • Launch of the first version of the Java 1.0 Development Kit
  • Launch of Netscape Navigator as the first popular web browser
  • First mass-market 3D computer game (Quake) released by id Software
  • Launch of first-generation Intel Pentium MMX processors
  • Introduction of Java 2 platform by Sun Microsystems
  • First version of Java Development Kit (JDK 1.0) released by Sun Microsystems

1997

  • Apple introduces Mac OS 8
  • Launch of Windows 98 by Microsoft
  • Introduction of the first Pentium MMX processor by Intel
  • Windows 95 OS becomes a massive success with widespread adoption
  • Microsoft’s first web browser Internet Explorer 4.0
  • Launch of the first camera phone (Nokia 7650)

1998

  • Google founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin
  • Introduction of the first Google search engine
  • Launch of the first DVD player
  • Launch of Google search engine
  • Launch of Windows 98 by Microsoft
  • Introduction of 3G technology

1999

  • Introduction of Wi-Fi standard 802.11b
  • Microsoft releases Internet Explorer 5.0
  • Start of the Dot-com bubble
  • Launch of the first version of the PlayStation 2
  • The Dot-com bubble bursts
  • Launch of 3G mobile communication technology

2000

  • Launch of Windows 2000 by Microsoft
  • Launch of the first version of the PlayStation 2
  • Introduction of the first DVD burner
  • Launch of the first version of USB flash drives by IBM
  • Launch of the PlayStation 2, the first video game console with a built-in DVD player
  • Microsoft launches the first version of Xbox
  • Launch of the first version of the USB flash drive

2001

  • Release of Windows XP by Microsoft
  • Introduction of Mac OS X by Apple
  • Microsoft launches Xbox gaming console
  • Apple introduces iTunes, changing the music industry
  • Launch of Windows XP, one of Microsoft's most successful operating systems
  • Introduction of the first Xbox by Microsoft

2002

  • Launch of the first camera phone (Nokia 7650)
  • Launch of Windows XP Media Center Edition
  • Launch of the first 3D video game console (PlayStation 2)

2003

  • Launch of Mozilla Firefox web browser
  • Launch of Skype
  • Google’s search engine indexes over a billion pages
  • Launch of Mozilla Firefox 1.0
  • Launch of Skype for voice-over-IP communications
  • Google introduces Gmail

2004

  • Yahoo! acquires Overture for $1.63 billion
  • Facebook founded by Mark Zuckerberg
  • Launch of Facebook by Mark Zuckerberg
  • Launch of Gmail by Google

2005

  • Launch of YouTube by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim
  • Launch of Google Maps
  • Google acquires Android Inc.
  • Google launches Google Maps
  • YouTube launched

2006

  • Twitter founded by Jack Dorsey, Biz Stone, and Evan Williams
  • Launch of Intel's first Dual-Core processors
  • Google acquires YouTube for $1.65 billion
  • Launch of Twitter
  • Launch of Intel’s Dual-Core processors

2007

  • Apple introduces the first iPhone
  • Launch of Android operating system by Google
  • Launch of Amazon Web Services (AWS)
  • Launch of the iPhone, revolutionizing the smartphone industry
  • Launch of Android operating system by Google

2008

  • The release of the first Android smartphone, T-Mobile G1
  • Google introduces Google Chrome browser
  • Google Chrome browser launched
  • Launch of the first Android phone, T-Mobile G1
  • Google introduces Google Chrome browser

2009

  • Bitcoin whitepaper published by Satoshi Nakamoto
  • Bitcoin blockchain network goes live
  • Launch of Windows 7 by Microsoft
  • Google launches Google Street View
  • Launch of the first 3D TV by Sony
  • Launch of the first cloud storage service (Google Docs)
  • Launch of the iPhone 3GS by Apple
  • Introduction of NFC (Near Field Communication) mobile payment technology
  • Launch of Spotify as a digital music service
  • Microsoft launches Bing search engine
  • Launch of Google Wave, a real-time communication tool
  • Launch of Windows 7 by Microsoft
  • Launch of the Bitcoin blockchain network
  • Launch of Google Wave as a real-time communication platform

2010

  • Launch of the first iPad by Apple
  • Google launches Android 2.2 FroYo
  • Microsoft launches Windows Phone 7
  • Introduction of the first Samsung Galaxy S smartphone
  • Launch of Apple's iPhone 4 with Retina Display
  • Launch of the iPad, revolutionizing tablet computing

2011

  • Introduction of iCloud by Apple
  • Release of the first Siri-enabled iPhone 4S
  • Google releases Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
  • Launch of Google+ social network
  • Launch of Microsoft’s Kinect for Xbox 360

2012

  • Launch of Windows 8 by Microsoft
  • Facebook goes public with an IPO
  • Introduction of Google Drive cloud storage service
  • Launch of Instagram, a photo-sharing app acquired by Facebook
  • Facebook acquires Instagram for $1 billion
  • Launch of Google Drive for cloud-based file storage

2013

  • Launch of Google Glass (prototype)
  • Launch of the PlayStation 4 gaming console
  • Launch of the Xbox One gaming console
  • Launch of Apple’s iPhone 5S with Touch ID
  • Release of PlayStation 4 and Xbox One

2014

  • Launch of Apple's HealthKit and HomeKit
  • Apple introduces the Apple Watch
  • Microsoft acquires Nokia’s mobile business
  • Launch of Google’s Project Loon for internet access via balloons
  • Introduction of the Apple Watch, wearables become mainstream

2015

  • Launch of Windows 10 by Microsoft
  • Apple introduces Apple Music streaming service
  • Introduction of Amazon Echo and Alexa voice assistant
  • Google announces Alphabet as a new parent company
  • Launch of Windows 10, including features like Cortana and Edge browser
  • Launch of Apple Pay, enabling mobile payments

2016

  • Release of the first Microsoft HoloLens
  • Google’s AI program DeepMind’s AlphaGo defeats human Go champion
  • Introduction of Pokémon Go, a massive AR game success
  • Apple introduces the iPhone 7 with removal of the headphone jack
  • Introduction of Google Assistant, AI-powered voice assistant
  • Release of Microsoft’s HoloLens, an augmented reality (AR) headset

2017

  • Launch of iPhone X with Face ID and OLED display
  • Introduction of Bitcoin’s massive price surge and mainstream attention
  • Launch of the first commercial 5G trials

2018

  • Launch of Google Assistant-powered smart displays
  • Apple introduces its M1 chip, marking a shift away from Intel processors

2019

  • 5G networks begin global roll-out
  • Launch of Apple’s AirPods Pro
  • Introduction of Google Stadia, a cloud gaming platform
  • Launch of the first 5G-capable smartphones
  • Apple announces its new streaming service Apple TV+

2020

  • Launch of Apple's M1 chip for MacBooks, marking the end of Intel chips in Macs
  • Zoom becomes a central tool for remote work and communication due to COVID-19
  • Release of Microsoft’s Surface Duo (foldable phone)
  • Launch of SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet service
  • Introduction of NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 30 series GPUs
  • Introduction of Amazon's Ring indoor security drone
  • Mass adoption of cloud computing platforms like Microsoft Azure, AWS, and Google Cloud
  • Launch of Tesla’s Full-Self Driving (FSD) beta

2021

  • Launch of Windows 11 by Microsoft
  • Introduction of Facebook’s Metaverse vision and rebranding to Meta
  • Launch of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X consoles
  • First full-scale rollout of 5G across multiple cities globally
  • Google launches TensorFlow Quantum for quantum computing AI

2022

  • Meta announces new virtual reality headset, Oculus Quest Pro
  • Apple unveils new M2 chip for MacBook Pro
  • First full deployment of 5G in the US
  • Introduction of ChatGPT by OpenAI
  • Microsoft acquires Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion
  • Launch of Apple’s M2 chip for MacBooks and desktops
  • Meta announces launch of the first consumer-grade AR glasses

2023

  • Launch of GPT-4 by OpenAI, an advanced AI language model
  • Apple’s AR headset Vision Pro is revealed
  • Meta launches its Metaverse AR/VR headset as the next generation of immersive experiences
  • Quantum computing makes significant advances in solving problems faster than classical computers
  • Google announces Bard AI to compete with ChatGPT
  • ChatGPT surpasses 100 million active users in just a few months
  • Apple’s Vision Pro AR/VR headset announced as the future of mixed reality
  • Mass adoption of autonomous vehicles and self-driving taxis

2024

  • Launch of quantum computing as a service by IBM and Microsoft
  • Full-scale 6G technology trials begin
  • Development of brain-computer interfaces (BCI) for consumer electronics
  • Full deployment of 6G technologies in select regions
  • First fully autonomous vehicles deployed commercially
  • Launch of fully integrated brain-computer interfaces (BCI)
  • Quantum computing reaches new milestone in error correction

2025

  • Launch of advanced brain-computer interfaces for mainstream consumer use
  • Robotic assistants integrated into homes and workplaces
  • Brain-computer interfaces reach mainstream adoption for consumer electronics

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