Professor Ambrose Fleming patented the forerunner of the diode valve in November 1904 and this is generally seen as the birth of electronics. Significant inventions and personalities are highlighted in this lecture - Lee de Forest the Oscar winning inventor for his contribution to sound in the film industry; Eccles and Jordan are mentioned for the “flip-flop”; Bardeen, Brattain and Shockley for their transistor work; and companies such as Texas Instruments, Fairchild and Intel for their contribution to integrated circuit technology. Up to date electronics are emphasized with reference to the very high performance and level of integration of the modern microprocessor chip. Moore’s Law and recent developments in the technology such as the new material hafnium, and wafer and gate advances are discussed. The latest aspirations of the industry and the ultimate reliability of silicon and structures with atomic dimensions is examined.