In what year were digital cameras first invented?

The invention of digital cameras can be traced back to 1975, which is the correct answer. This year is significant because it marks the creation of the first digital camera by Steven Sasson, an engineer at Kodak. The groundbreaking device was a cumbersome setup weighing about eight pounds and utilized a CCD (charge-coupled device) image sensor. This early prototype captured images in grayscale at a resolution of 0.01 megapixels, which laid the foundation for the digital photography revolution that followed in the ensuing decades.

By contrast, the other options do not represent the actual year of the first digital camera's invention. The year 1980 is often marked for advancements in camera technology, but it came after the initial invention. The 1990s saw the commercial release of digital cameras and increased popularity, while 2000 saw further developments but was not when the invention occurred. Thus, 1975 remains the pivotal year in the history of digital photography.