1978–2007 · Global · Technology
Satellite positioning, cellular networks and portable devices made location, communication and navigation continuously available to billions of people.
Atlas dossier · Digital & Global AgeFree device narration · synchronized English captions · transcript available
Why it matters
Satellite positioning, cellular networks and portable devices made location, communication and navigation continuously available to billions of people.
Satellite engineers · mobile-network builders · mapmakers · drivers · device users
These systems changed transport, emergency response, commerce, mapping and everyday life while introducing new dependence on infrastructure and data collection.
Interpretation note
This dossier distinguishes the event’s basic chronology from later arguments about meaning, responsibility and legacy. When comparing religious, national, Indigenous or scholarly interpretations, consult the primary and institutional sources above alongside peer-reviewed historical work.
Elsewhere in the world
1978 · EuropeIn vitro fertilization and reproductive medicineThe birth of the first IVF baby demonstrated that fertilization and early embryo development could be supported outside the body, beginning a new era of assisted reproduction.
1978–1979 · Middle EastIranian RevolutionA broad coalition of religious, secular, student and labour opposition brought down the Pahlavi monarchy. Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini returned from exile and an Islamic Republic was established through a turbulent revolutionary process.
1974 · AsiaThe Terracotta Army is unearthedFarmers digging a well near Xi’an uncovered the first terracotta warriors in 1974, revealing part of the vast mausoleum complex built for Qin Shi Huang, China’s first emperor.