The Consumer Electronics Show has come a long way since its first inception in 1967 (2,232 miles to be exact…the first show was in New York). Along the way, this industry event has introduced us to many a groundbreaking technology. DVD, HDTV and Blu-ray all held their coming out parties at CES. But wait, there’s more! Here are a dozen, memorable unveilings…including one that involves the Swedish mob.

VCR (1970)

Let’s be kind and rewind back to CES ’70: the year the Video Cassette Recorder first strutted its stuff. Forty years later, we’re still selling these things (at least as DVD combo units). BTW, if you’re too young to remember the VCR, just ask your parents about that thing that constantly flashed “12:00.”

Laserdisc Player (1974)

Oh, Laserdisc, you deserved a much better fate. You were like a DVD, only super-sized. Your images were crisper than VHS. Yet during the format war, you weren’t even allowed on the battlefield. Sleep tight, LD, don’t let the laser rot bite.

CD Player (1981)

If video did in fact kill the radio star (and we have no reason to doubt the validity of assertions made by 80’s pop stars), then the CD player is responsible for two deaths: cassettes and records (although the latter is still very much alive, in our humble opinion).

Camcorder (1981)

The CD Player AND the camcorder in the same year? Clearly there was something in the water at CES ’81. The camcorder revolutionized the world of video, and democratized it too. Now anyone could videotape a guy getting hit in the crotch.

Commodore 64 (1982)

Back in ’82, the “breadbox” was the best thing since (bad pun in 3, 2, 1…) sliced bread. This PC had 64 kilobytes of RAM goodness. That’s 64 MORE than sliced bread (and a couple million less than a MacBook). By the way, if you still have an itch to get your C64 on, you’re in luck. Classics games like “International Karate,” “Pitstop II” and “Boulder Dash” are just 500 Wii points away. What a deal!

NES (1985)

Speaking of Wii points (you’re welcome for the free advertising, Nintendo), they also come in handy for anyone wanting to relive the magic of the Nintendo Entertainment System. From the moment it made its American debut at CES, the NES was a hit. In fact, many say this gaming system single-handedly saved the video game industry (much like Link saved Princess Zelda).

CD-i (1991)

If you were born in the Internet Age, you probably don’t know what CD-i is, and if you Google it, you’ll probably still be confused. Connect a Compact Disc Interactive player to your TV or monitor and things got all…well… interactive. CD-i was many things (an educational tool, a video game console, a CD player, even a karaoke machine), but one thing it wasn’t was successful. CD-i went the way of the dodo bird in 1998.

Newton (1992)

A prototype for this early PDA was shown off at a lavish, VIP event during the Summer Consumer Electronics Show in Chicago (CES used to happen twice a year). A year later, the Newton, and its infamous handwriting recognition software, hit the shelves just in time for Christmas. The perfect stocking stuffer! Or as the Newton would translate it…Tree parrot stuffing slipper!

Virtual Boy (1995)

Okay Nintendo, we gave you all that free advertising, so please don’t get upset at us for mentioning that Virtual Boy was born at CES (only to die a year later). Now let us never speak of it again.

DVR (1999)

Thanks to this time shifter, now you could party like it was 1999, then watch it in 2000. At CES ’99, two Digital Video Recorders battled it out (ReplayTV and TiVo), but only one took home a best in show award (hint…it wasn’t TiVo). Advertisers may not like it, but there’s no denying that this beauty has forever changed the way America watches TV (FYI… sometimes we skip past our own commercials, just for the perverse thrill).

Microsoft Xbox (2001)

During his CES keynote, Bill Gates introduced the final design for the Xbox. A month later, the XFL kicks off. Coincidence? Who cares. The XFL bombed. The Xbox did not (although, we would pay good money to see Steve Ballmer in a “He Hate Me” jersey).

Gizmondo (2005)

Never heard of it? There’s a reason. According to GamePro, it’s the worst selling handheld gaming device of all-time (they say it sold less than 25,000 units). I guess one could say Gizmondo crashed like a red Ferrari driven by a gun-toting, Swedish executive with mob connections (which reminds us of the story about the gun-toting, Swedish executive from Gizmondo with mob connections who crashed his red Ferrari).

So what revolutionary technology will be the talk of CES 2010? How about CES 2020? We await your comments. Or you can post about the Swedish mob. Either way.