There have been five technological revolutions in the last 200 years. 

A technological revolution can be defined as a powerful and obvious cluster of new dynamic technologies, products, and industries capable of propelling a long-term upsurge of development (credit: Carlota Perez). 

In each technological revolution, there is an explosion of new products, industries, and infrastructures that gradually gives rise to a new techno-economic paradigm. This new revolution/paradigm will then influence entrepreneurs, investors, and consumer’s individual decisions. 

The five successful technological revolutions are as follows:

1. The Industrial Revolution 

2. The Age of Steam and Railways

3. Age of Steel, Electricity, and Heavy engineering 

4. Age of Oil, Automobiles, and Mass Production

5. Age of Information and Telecommunications 

For the start of every technological revolution, there needs to be a “big bang” that kicks everything off. That “big bang”is some sort of highly visible attractor. That attractor needs to not only be a technological breakthrough, but it needs to be cheap - it needs to collapse the cost innovation.

The First Technological Revolution

Name: The Industrial Revolution 
Core Country: Britain
Big Bang: Cromford Mill (developed by Richard Arkwright) 
Year: 1771
New Technologies/Industries: mechanized cotton industry, wrought iron, machinery
New/Redfined Infrastructures: canals, turnpike roads, water-powered wheels.

The Second Technological Revolution:

Name: Age of Steam and Railways
Core Country: Britain (spread to the US)
Big Bang: The testing of the ‘Rocket’ steam engine for the Liverpool-Manchester railway. 
Year: 1829
New Technologies/Industries: steam engines and machinery (mad in iron; fueled by coal), iron and coal mining, railway construction, rolling stock production, steam power 
New/Redefined Infrastructures: Railways (use of steam engine), universal postal service, telegraph (mainly nationally along the railway lines), ports and depots for sailing ships, city gas.

The Third Technological Revolution:

Name: Age of Steel, Electricity, and Heavy engineering
Core Country: USA & Germany (overtaking Britain) 
Big Bang: The Carnegie Bessemer steel plant (Pittsburgh, PA) 
Year: 1875
New & Redefined Technologies/Industries: cheap steel, full development of steam engines for steel ships, heavy chemistry & civil engineering, electrical equipment industry, copper & cables, canned and bottled food, paper & packaging. 
New & Redefined Infrastructures: worldwide shipping (use of Suez Canal), worldwide railways (use of cheap steel rails & bolts), great bridges and tunnels, worldwide telegraph, telephone (mainly nationally), electrical networks (for illumination and industrial use)

Fourth Technological Revolution:

Name: Age of Oil, the Automobile and Mass Production
Core Country: USA (with Germany’s influence spreading throughout Europe)
Big-Bang: First Model-T (Detroit, MI; Developed by Henry Ford)
Year: 1908
New & Redfined Technologies/Industries: mass-produces automobiles, cheap oil & oil fuels, petrochemicals (synthetics), internal combustion engines for automobiles, transport, tractors, airplanes, war tanks, home electrical appliances, refrigerated & frozen foods.
New & Redfinded Infrastructures: networks of roads, highways, ports & airports, networks of oil ducts, universal electricity (industry and homes), worldwide analog telecommunications (telephone, telex, and cablegram).

Fifth Technological Revolution:

Name: Age of Information and Telecommunication
Core Country: USA (spreading to Europe and Asia)
Big-Bang: The Intel microprocessor (Santa Clara, CA) 
Year: 1971
New & Redefined Technologies/Industries: the information revolution, cheap microelectronics, computers, software, telecommunications, control instruments, computer-aided biotechnology & new materials. 
New & Redefined Infrastructures: world digital telecommunications (cable, fiber, optics, radio, and satellite), internet/electronic mail & other e-services, multi-source/flexible electricity networks, high-speed physical transport links (land, air, and water).