First ever camera phone was created in 1997 by Philippe Kahn, who jerry-rigged a digital camera, a flip phone, and a laptop in his car while his wife was literally in the hospital giving birth.

A closer look

First ever camera phone was created in 1997 by Philippe Kahn, who jerry-rigged a digital camera, a flip phone, and a laptop in his car while his wife was literally in the hospital giving birth. Kahn wanted to instantly share photos of his newborn daughter with his friends and family, accidentally pioneering the technological infrastructure for the modern selfie. Prior to this duct-tape level engineering feat, people actually had to wait days for film to be developed just to see if their eyes were closed in a picture. Now, thanks to an impatient father in a maternity ward, we have entire generations whose primary source of self-worth is tethered to front-facing cameras, endless Instagram filters, and capturing every mundane meal they consume