In 1976 – K&E produced its last slide rule, which it presented to the Smithsonian Institution. While slide rules continue to be made, especially for marine and aviation uses, K&E had been the dominant manufacturer, and this signaled the end of an era, and the rise of the electronic calculator.
In 1979 – The US space station Skylab returned to Earth scattering debris over the Indian Ocean and Western Australia.
In 2008 – Apple’s second phone, the iPhone 3G went on sale, featuring 3G data connectivity.
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Around 1978 New York State started allowing electronic calculators on Regents exams where before it was slide rules only.