September 04

Before Eastman’s innovation, photography relied on bulky glass plates that required complicated preparation and handling. Seeking to simplify the process, George Eastman developed a flexible roll-film and a portable camera. On September 4, 1888, he secured a U.S. patent for his design and trademarked the name “Kodak.” The new camera came preloaded with film for 100 exposures, which customers sent back to Eastman’s factory for development. This system transformed photography into a mass consumer activity. The ease of use and affordability opened the hobby to millions of amateurs worldwide. Eastman’s company, later known as Eastman Kodak, became a global leader in imaging technology.

Stanford University doctoral students Larry Page and Sergey Brin incorporated Google, Inc. in a garage in Menlo Park, California, with the mission of organizing the world’s information. They developed the PageRank algorithm to rank search results by relevance and citation, vastly improving internet search quality. Initial funding included a $100,000 check from angel investor Andy Bechtolsheim, co-founder of Sun Microsystems. The company’s name, reflecting a mathematical googol, signaled their ambition to handle massive amounts of data. Google began operating from its first office known as the ‘Googleplex’ and quickly attracted millions of users worldwide. Over the next decade, the firm expanded offerings to include advertising platforms, email, maps, and other services. Google’s rise revolutionized digital advertising, online research, and technology innovation, leading it to become part of the parent company Alphabet in 2015. Today, Google remains a dominant force in the global tech industry.