Submarine- Invented by Cornelis Drebbel in 1620. He tested it in the River Thames. It's seal was made of greased leather. The submarine reached a depth of 4 meters.
Steam Engine- The first Steam Engine was made by Thomas Newcomen in 1712. It was used to pump water from a mining shaft in Ayrshire.
Electric Motor- Made by Michael Faraday, the first electric motor was invented in 1821. It made use of mercury and magnets in order to change electricity into mechanical energy.
Plane- The Wright brothers accomplished flight in 1903. Their first flight lasted less than fifteen seconds and went just over 150 feet. This was the first example of powered flight.
Robotics- Invented in 1948/1949, robots Elmer and Elsie were made by William Grey Walter. They used "Phototaxis" to move, which is movement spurred by light stimulus.
Satellite- Launched by the Soviets in 1957, Sputnik was the first artificial satellite in orbit. Sputnik later returned to earth almost half a year later as it's orbit decayed.
Laser Tech- Invented by Theodore Maiman, The laser was first operated in 1960. Laser technology is now used in many professions, from scientific research to the medical field.
Space Travel- Apollo 11 launched in 1969, signaling for the first time that humanity was not stuck on earth. The three astronauts were Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins.
Science Fiction is a relatively new genre, tracing its roots to the beginning of the 1800's. Mary Shelley, the writer of Frankenstein, is widely believed to be the first known science fiction author. Her creation, Frankenstein is known throughout media, making it an iconic character. The origin of the story is said to be from one of two places. One origin claims that the idea of Frankenstein came from an especially vivid nightmare that Mary Shelley had. The other origin is that Mary Shelley was driven by her trauma and depression.
As the Industrial Revolution spurred the birth of Science fiction, new inventions and wonders carried it onward till the modern day. Each invention acted as a stepping stone, pushing the bar of what was thought possible higher and higher. Important Inventions also tended to coincide with genres of science fiction. New inventions brought inspiration, which i turn brought more inventions like a self-sustaining cycle.
The Golden Age of Science Fiction is said to be between 1930 and 1960. This came about due to a number of authors including Heinlein, Sturgeon and even Asimov with his three laws of robotics. The 1950's specifically was a decade that focused squarely on the future. As World War II ended and the space race began, America was bent on advancing technologically in order to beat the Soviets. This idea permeated not just the military and political spheres, but the consumerist one as well. Americans were sold on the idea that the future would be amazing, with a redefinition of the human experience. This in turn provided authors like Asimov and the others with no end of inspiration.
1818: Mary W. Shelley's Frankenstein: the modern Prometheus
1870: Jules Verne's Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea
1886: Robert L. Stevenson's Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
1895: H.G. Wells' The Time Machine
1902: Georges Melies' La Voyage dans la Lune
1932: Aldous Huxley's Brave New World
1965: Frank Herbert's Dune
1968: Philip K. Dick Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep