10 Things From the 1960s That Kids Today Will Never Understand

Whenever innovation and creativity combine forces, brilliant inventions tend to follow suit. Each decade has its own set of unique technological advances that were known for either making life easier or more entertaining, and the 1960s were no different. But what was considered to be new and exciting at the time may make some folks scratch their heads in confusion now, especially since technology has evolved so much since then. As part of our ongoing series, Parade Rewind, we asked the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to break down some of the best inventions from the 1960s that kids today will never understand.

Last month, we explored some of the most influential inventions from the 1950s, ranging from the integrated circuit and pocket radio to barcodes and the implantable cardiac pacemaker. This month, the USPTO is helping us take a walk down memory lane and dive into some of the 1960s inventions that may seem a little bit strange to kids (and maybe even young adults) today, especially since they’re used to far more advanced technology.

Similar to all tech developments, each of the inventions below impacted society and the future of innovation in its own unique way. Have another invention to add to the list? Leave us a comment below!

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What Kind of Inventions or Technology Were Invented in the 1960s?

Per the USPTO, Americans were “benefitting from a post-World War II economic boom” in the 1960s and a workforce that “grew by around 33% throughout the decade.”

“The space race dominated technological development, culminating with the first moon landing in 1969. Patented technologies, including space suits and missile launch release systems, supported this effort,” the USPTO tells Parade.  

The organization highlights LED lights and wrinkle-free cotton as two “major technological advancements” of the decade, along with toys such as Etch A Sketch and Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots.

“Although many of the technologies patented in the 1960s are still familiar today, some
might confuse children in the 21st century,” the USPTO shares.

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10 Important Discoveries or Inventions From the 1960s

1. Facsimile apparatus (Fax machine)

Before the age of emails, fax machines were the preferred method of sending instant communications. As the devices began to be used more widely in the 1960s, the Xerox Magnafax Telecopier hit the scene.

While you may still find a fax machine at your local library, they’re pretty rare these days.

“Sending documents by fax machine has largely been made obsolete by the internet,” the USPTO says.

2. Tape recorder apparatus

From phones to laptops, we now have plenty of ways to record conversations that don’t involve an actual recording device. But in the 1960s, a tape recorder apparatus was the go-to method of recording.

“Children may be confused by both needing a designated device solely for audio recording
and by using physical tapes,” the USPTO says.

3. Telephone answering machine

Per the National Museum of American History, telephone answering machines were around in the early 20th century, but “commercial units did not begin to enter the U.S. market until the 1960s.”

“Having a separate device for callers to leave messages, rather than our current ability to
leave a voicemail, may be confusing to children who have never seen an answering machine before,” the USPTO shares.

4. Infant car seat

Car seats are a safety must-have for anyone with a young child, but the designs that we’re used to today look a lot different—and a lot more secure—than those from the 1960s.

For instance, the USPTO references a 1966 patent application for an infant car seat that looks significantly different from what you’d find in stores now.

“The appearance of this car seat is much simpler than modern versions, looking more like a
21st-century high chair than a car seat,” the USPTO says.

5. Scale calculating devices

Today, kids can easily make calculations on their phones, laptops or tablets. They’re also used to digital calculators. But in the 1960s, several other calculating methods were more popular, including slide rules.

Per the National Museum of American History, slide rules are “analog computing devices marked with linear or logarithmic scales, some on a moving slide and some stationary on the base of the instrument, so that two numbers may be added or multiplied by aligning the slide.”

The USPTO says these mechanical scale calculating devices “would be confusing for children who have digital calculators readily available.”

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6. Combination airplane and automobile

“Flying cars have been seen as the ‘technology of the future’ for more than sixty years,” the USPTO shares.

The organization points to a 1960 patent application from Warder H. Skaggs for a “combination automobile and airplane.” The design resembles the Aerocar, which, The Museum of Flight reported, had the “ability to transform from automobile to aircraft” in less than 15 minutes.

7. Slide projectors

Slide projectors were around for quite some time before the 1960s, but they evolved during the decade. Per the New York Times, Kodak revolutionized the industry when the company released the Kodak Carousel in the 1960s.

Like other slide projectors, the Carousel enlarged images. But, as the New York Times reported, the new model was “more convenient than its predecessors and was designed in a snazzier style that hinted at technological wizardry.”

8. Film cameras

No, cameras weren’t first invented in the 1960s. But several camera models did come about during the decade. For instance, Kodak debuted its Instamatic film camera in 1963.

Per the USPTO, the “retro” appearance of many cameras from the decade “would confuse children who are likely used to having their photo taken by digital cameras or cell phones.”

9. Telephone handsets

Having a landline phone at home is quite rare these days, but in the 1960s, they were pretty popular. They didn’t make their grand debut in the 1960s, but the decade saw several developments in different types of telephone handsets.

Since kids today are so used to smartphones, the USPTO says they may be “unfamiliar with the shape of the telephone” in some cases.

10. Combined television set and telephone

Today’s kids are used to watching TV on their parents’ phones, but a device that actually includes a separate telephone and television set in one might seem perplexing to them.

A patent from 1964 details the design of such a device—a combined television receiver and telephone—and names its developer as the International Telephone and Telegraph Corporation.

“Children would be surprised by the shape of the cabinet, the built-in style and the size of
the telephone in comparison to the television,” the USPTO says.

A 1965 article from the New York Times archives details the debut of a Videx Videx television transmitter, which “sends still pictures over an ordinary telephone line.”

“An operator puts a photograph, drawing or small object on the copy table of the transmitter, talks by telephone with a person at the receiver, hangs up and presses a ‘send’ button. The machine scans slowly, from top to bottom, at about a thousandth of the speed of a conventional television camera, and sends a picture in from 10 to 30 seconds,” the article reads. The purpose was for “checking bank signatures and credit records, relaying radar weather maps and reporting the maintenance status of commercial aircraft.”

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Sources:

• The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) scoured its archives to share insight into some of the best inventions of the decade for Parade.