| 1508 |
Leonardo da Vinci illustrates the concept of contact lenses |
| 1823 |
British astronomer Sir John Herschel conceptualizes practical lens design |
| 1887 |
First contact lens manufactured from glass, and fit to cover the entire eye |
| 1939 |
Contact lenses first made from plastic |
| 1948 |
Plastic contact
lenses designed to cover only the eye's cornea |
| 1971 |
Introduction of soft contact lenses |
| 1978 |
Introduction of GP contact lenses |
| 1981 |
FDA approval of new
soft contact lenses for extended (overnight) wear |
| 1986 |
Overnight wear of
GP contact lenses becomes available |
| 1987 |
Introduction of disposable soft contact lenses |
| 1987 |
GP contacts
available in next-generation fluorosilicone acrylate materials |
To learn more about the various types of contact lenses, read on:
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