Its great information about history, the great inventions changing the world. The current people lifestyle and daily usage all depending on technology and inventions of history.
Important point is it did not happen suddenly. As with automobiles and transformers, the first models were patented 30 years before 1885. It was not accepted immediately. Even though transformer and AC power supply were available from 1890s, US factories were widely electrified only after 1920, productivity going up several fold. Till then steam boilers and engine shaft powering several machines were common in factories.
I think this is a really pretty good article, thank you very much for sharing it. It is always interesting to read these reflections, which are very structured.
The most important inventions or discoveries that shaped the world we know now, would be metals, math and machine tools, with out them, you would have none of the so called great inventions that anyone mentions.