Final answer:
The invention that came first among the listed options is the radio, with its pivotal technology, the vacuum tube, patented in 1906. The first public radio broadcast took place in 1910, well before the other inventions like film with sound, the atomic bomb, and the polio vaccine were developed.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine which of the following inventions came first—the atomic bomb, film with sound, the polio vaccine, or radio—we need to look at their historical timelines. The invention that predates the others is the radio. The technology that enabled the development of the radio, specifically the vacuum tube, was patented in 1906 by Lee De Forest. The first public radio broadcast took place in 1910 using De Forest's technology for transmitting operas. In comparison, film with sound (movies with sound) arrived later, with the first commercial screening of a film with sound often credited to "The Jazz Singer" in 1927. The atomic bomb was developed during World War II and first detonated in 1945. Finally, the polio vaccine, while researched throughout the early 20th century, was not developed until Jonas Salk's version in 1952, with the first large-scale vaccinations beginning in 1955.
Radio technology played a pivotal role in the creation of an American national identity, as it allowed live broadcasts to millions of listeners simultaneously. The discovery of vaccines to prevent polio, such as those by Salk and later Albert Sabin, dramatically decreased the prevalence of the disease worldwide and represented a monumental advancement in public health. However, when looking at the chronology, radio predates the other inventions mentioned.
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