A Short History of Nanotechnology
1959
Feynman gives after-dinner talk describing molecular machines building with atomic precision
1974
Taniguchi uses term "nano-technology" in paper on ion-sputter machining
1977
Drexler originates molecular nanotechnology concepts at MIT
1981
First technical paper on molecular engineering to build with atomic precision
STM invented
1985
Buckyball discovered
1986
First book published
AFM invented
First organization formed
1987
First protein engineered
First university symposium
1988
First university course
1989
IBM logo spelled in individual atoms
First national conference
1990
First nanotechnology journal
Japan's STA begins funding nanotech projects
1991
Japan''s MITI announces bottom-up "atom factory"
IBM endorses bottom-up path
Japan's MITI commits $200 million
Carbon nanotube discovered
1992
First textbook published
First Congressional testimony
1993
First Feynman Prize in Nanotechnology awarded
First coverage of nanotech from White House
"Engines of Creation" book given to Rice administration, stimulating first university nanotech center
1994
Nanosystems textbook used in first university course
US Science Advisor advocates nanotechnology
1995
First think tank report
First industry analysis of military applications
1996
$250,000 Feynman Grand Prize announced
First European conference
NASA begins work in computational nanotech
First nanobio conference
1997
First company founded: Zyvex
First design of nanorobotic system
1998
First NSF forum, held in conjunction with Foresight Conference
First DNA-based nanomechanical device
1999
First Nanomedicine book published
First safety guidelines
Congressional hearings on proposed National Nanotechnology Initiative
2000
President Clinton announces U.S. National Nanotechnology Initiative
First state research initiative: $100 million in California
2001
First report on nanotech industry
U.S. announces first center for military applications
2002
First nanotech industry conference
Regional nanotech efforts multiply
2003
Congressional hearings on societal implications
Call for balancing NNI research portfolio
Drexler/Smalley debate is published in Chemical & Engineering News
2004
First policy conference on advanced nanotech
First center for nanomechanical systems
2005
At Nanoethics meeting, Roco announces nanomachine/nanosystem project count has reached 300
2006
National Academies nanotechnology report calls for experimentation toward molecular manufacturing
For more on the history of the nanotechnology concept, see:
"Nanotechnology: from Feynman to the Grand Challenge of Molecular Manufacturing", by C. Peterson in IEEE Technology and Society, Winter 2004.
"Molecular Nanotechnology: the Next Industrial Revolution", by C. Peterson in IEEE Computer, January 2000.
Nano: The Emerging Science of Nanotechnology (by E. Regis, Little Brown, 1995).
"Nanotechnology: From Concept to R&D Goal", by C. Peterson, HotWired, 1995.
"Nanotechnology: Evolution of the Concept" by C. Peterson, in the book Prospects in Nanotechnology: Toward Molecular Manufacturing (ed. Markus Krummenacker and James Lewis, Wiley, 1995).
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