Tamagotchi, 1996 Launched in 1996, the Tamagotchi was one of the first gadget crazes. A tiny electronic pet that died if you didn’t press a button to feed it, clear its poop or play with it enough - every kid had to have one. It spawned copy cats and frenzies in classes and it brought the toy into the digital age, if only for a few short years. More than 44 different versions were released and by 2010 more than 76m had been sold all over the world.

Photograph: Alamy