Technology By Decade: Gadgets, Computers And Tech Trends

A guide to the technology of each decade, from the wireless set to the smartphone.

Pick an era below for its gadgets, its computers, what changed and what people remember.

Each guide links to that decade's calendar, music, travel and year pages.

Pick a decade

• 1920s - The wireless arrives in the front room and the whole country listens at once. Guide: /blogs/news/1920s-technology
• 1930s - Radio in almost every home, and the first television service in the world. Guide: /blogs/news/1930s-technology
• 1940s - Television switched off for the war, and the first electronic computers switched on. Guide: /blogs/news/1940s-technology
• 1950s - Television arrives properly, the transistor radio shrinks it all, and the LP changes music. Guide: /blogs/news/1950s-technology
• 1960s - Colour television, cassette tapes and a computer that put people on the Moon. Guide: /blogs/news/1960s-technology
• 1970s - Pocket calculators, Pong, video recorders and the first home computers. Guide: /blogs/news/1970s-technology
• 1980s - The home computer boom, the CD, the Walkman everywhere and the first mobile phones. Guide: /blogs/news/1980s-technology
• 1990s - Dial-up internet, mobile phones for everyone, and the CD-ROM sold as the future. Guide: /blogs/news/1990s-technology
• 2000s - Broadband, the iPod, camera phones and the smartphone at the end of it. Guide: /blogs/news/2000s-technology
• 2010s - Smartphones take over, everything moves to streaming, and the cloud eats the hard drive. Guide: /blogs/news/2010s-technology
• 2020s - Video calls for everything, working from the kitchen table, and AI arriving fast. Guide: /blogs/news/2020s-technology

How home technology changed

• 1920s-1940s: the wireless, the gramophone and the very first television service.
• 1950s-1960s: television in most homes, transistor radios, cassettes and colour.
• 1970s-1980s: calculators, video recorders, the Walkman and the home computer boom.
• 1990s-2000s: dial-up, mobiles, broadband, the iPod and the first smartphones.
• 2010s-2020s: smartphones and streaming, then video calls, the cloud and AI.

Shop prints and posters

How to write it so it lands

• Pair a decade's tech guide with its music and TV guides for a full themed evening.
• Old gadgets beat photographs as a reminiscence prompt - people want to hold them.
• First gadget owned is the best opening question in any group.

Where to shop next

• 1920s gadgets and technology
• 1930s gadgets and technology
• 1940s gadgets and technology
• 1950s gadgets and technology
• 1960s gadgets and technology
• 1970s gadgets and technology
• 1980s gadgets and technology
• 1990s gadgets and technology
• 2000s gadgets and technology
• 2010s gadgets and technology
• 2020s gadgets and technology
• The 2020s so far
• The 2010s: the whole decade
• The 2000s: the whole decade
• The 1990s: the whole decade
• The 1980s: the whole decade
• The 1970s: the whole decade
• The 1960s: the whole decade
• The 1950s: the whole decade
• The 1940s: the whole decade
• The 1930s: the whole decade
• The 1920s: the whole decade
• Decade books: best novels, authors and reading trends
• Decade tech: gadgets and computers by era
• Decade travel: destinations and holidays by era
• Decade recipes: dishes and food trends by era
• Music by decade: albums, artists and songs
• Decade fashion: clothes, hair and accessories by era
• Decade guides: books, films and TV by era
• Decade calendar: every year from 1920
• Decade trivia: fun facts by era
• Nostalgia gift shop
• Guess the year quiz
• Milestone birthday cards
• Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
• How to make a balloon arch
• Photo booth prop ideas
• Good luck cards
• All guides

Frequently asked questions

What decades are covered?

Every decade from the 1920s to the present, each with its gadgets, computers, trends and memories.

Is this UK focused?

Yes - British homes, British broadcasting and what was actually on sale here, with the key world firsts included.

Can I use these for a quiz or care home session?

Yes, freely. Print them, read them out, copy them - no permission needed.

What is a good example of decade technology guides?

"1920s-1940s: the wireless, the gramophone and the very first television service." is one of 16 examples on this page. Pick the one closest to the tone you want, then add a specific detail of your own - a shared memory, a date, a name - so it reads as yours rather than copied.