654877bd_erials_Science_and_Engineering__Significance
[Date] 1977 [Candidate Moment] Hideki Shirakawa, Alan MacDiarmid, and Alan Heeger announce the discovery of electrically conducting organic polymers. [Significance] 
Leads to the development of flat panel displays using organic light-emitting diodes, solar panels, and optical amplifiers.
Greatest Moments in Materials Science and Engineering
Significance