Electronics History — First Successful Diode and Triode Vacuum Tubes In which decade were the first successful vacuum tube diode and triode devices invented and demonstrated?

Introduction / Context:
Vacuum tubes were foundational to early electronics, enabling rectification, detection, and amplification before the transistor era. The diode (“Fleming valve”) and the triode (“Audion”) mark key milestones that launched radio and electronic amplification.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• We are asking for the decade when both diode and triode first succeeded.
• Historical dates: diode around 1904 (John Ambrose Fleming), triode around 1906 (Lee de Forest).
• We pick the decade that includes these firsts.

Concept / Approach:
Because both landmark inventions occurred in the early 20th century, the correct decade is the 1900s. Earlier decades saw advances in cathode rays and incandescent lamps, but not the practical, named diode and triode vacuum tube devices used in circuits.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
Electronics histories and timelines consistently place these introductions in the first decade of the 1900s, leading to rapid growth in radio telephony.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• 1800s / 1880s / 1890s: Important precursors existed, but the fully realized diode/triode tubes debuted in the 1900s.

Common Pitfalls:
Confusing experiments with cathode rays or incandescent filaments in the late 19th century with the specific named tube devices.

Final Answer:
1900s