Short answers, pulled from the story.
Friedrich Reinitzer discovered liquid crystals in 1888 while studying cholesterol extracted from carrots. He observed that the substance melted at one temperature and instantly became cloudy at a second distinct temperature. This discovery marked the first identification of liquid crystals as a state of matter that flows like a liquid but maintains the ordered structure of a crystal.
George Heilmeier created the first operational liquid crystal display in the mid-1960s while working at RCA Laboratories. He achieved the first switching of colors using field-induced realignment of dichroic dyes. This breakthrough led to the development of the dynamic scattering mode which switched a clear liquid crystal layer into a milky turbid state when voltage was applied.
The Gruen Teletime became the first wristwatch with a twisted nematic liquid crystal display in 1972. This device utilized the twisted nematic field effect mechanism patented by Wolfgang Helfrich and Martin Schadt in 1970. By 1973, Seiko and Casio were mass-producing digital quartz watches with these displays.
Paul K. Weimer developed the thin-film transistor in 1962 while working at RCA. This device is a type of MOSFET distinct from standard bulk transistors and became the backbone of active-matrix displays. T. Peter Brody's team at Westinghouse Research Laboratories in Pittsburgh prototyped the active-matrix TFT LCD by 1972.
Researchers at Brown Boveri & Cie invented the super-twisted nematic structure in 1983. This innovation improved the contrast and response time of passive-matrix displays. The technology was a precursor to the In-Plane Switching technology developed by Hitachi engineers in 1990.
China became the largest manufacturer of liquid crystal displays in the 2020s. Chinese firms held a 40% share of the global market during this period. Local governments played a significant role in this growth by investing in LCD manufacturers through state-owned investment companies.