Events and Trends Technology Development and commercial production of electric lighting Development and commercial production of gasoline-powered automobile by Karl Benz, Gottlieb Daimler and Maybach First commercial production and sales of phonographs and phonograph recordings. First steel frame construction of "sky-scrapers" American Society of Mechanical Engineers founded 16 February 1880, New York, N.Y. Construction begins on the Panama Canal by the French. This is the first attempt t… (More on 1880s)