In 1965, Gordon Moore, one of the founders of Intel Corporation, made the astounding prediction that the number of transistors that could be fit in a given area would double every 18 months for the next ten years. This it did and the phenomenon became known as Moore's Law.

The history of nanotechnology begins with a lecture titled, 'There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom' a talk given by physicist  Richard P. Feynman at an American Physical Society meeting at Caltech on December 29, 1959; "there is nothing besides our clumsy size that keeps us from using this space. In his time, it was not possible for us to manipulate single atoms or molecules because they were far too small for our tools." His speech was completely theoretical and seemingly fantastic. He described how the laws of physics do not limit our ability to manipulate single atoms and molecules. Instead, it was our lack of the appropriate methods for doing so. However, he correctly predicted that the time would come in which atomically precise manipulation of matter would inevitably arrive.

Here is a shot vedio about the history of nanotecgnology found on Youtube,

The term "nanotechnology" was first defined by Norio Taniguchi of the Tokyo Science University in a 1974 paper as follows: "'Nano-technology' mainly consists of the processing of, separation, consolidation, and deformation of materials by one atom or one molecule." Since that time the definition of nanotechnology has generally been extended to include features as large as 100 nm. The idea that nanotechnology embraces structures exhibiting quantum mechanical aspects, such as quantum dots, has further evolved its definition.

The history of nanotechnology in chronological order,

1959
"There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom," a talk given by physicist Richard Feynman at an American Physical Society meeting at Caltech.

1974
Taniguchi uses term "nano-technology" in paper on ion-sputter machining

1977
Drexler originates molecular nanotechnology concepts at MIT

1981
First technical paper on molecular engineering to build with atomic precision
STM invented

1985
Buckyball discovered

1986
First book published,AFM invented,First organization formed

1987
First protein engineered,First university symposium

1988
First university course

1989
First national conference,IBM logo spelled in individual atoms

1990
Japan's STA begins funding nanotech projects,First nanotechnology journal

1991
IBM endorses bottom-up path,Japan's MITI commits $200 million,Carbon nanotube discovered

1992
First Congressional testimony,First textbook published

1993
First coverage of nanotech from White House,First Feynman Prize in Nanotechnology awarded,"Engines of Creation" book given to Rice administration, stimulating first university nanotech center

1994
Nanosystems textbook used in first university course


1995
First industry analysis of military applications,First think tank report

1996
First European conference,NASA begins work in computational nanotech,$250,000 Feynman Grand Prize announced,First nanobio conference

1997
First company founded,First design of nanorobotic system

1998
First NSF forum,First DNA-based nanomechanical device

1999
First safety guidelines,First Nanomedicine book published

2000
President Clinton announces U.S. National Nanotechnology Initiative

2001
First report on nanotech industry

2002
First nanotech industry conference

2003
Call for balancing NNI research portfolio,Drexler/Smalley debate is published in Chemical & Engineering News

2004
First policy conference on advanced nanotech,First center for nanomechanical systems

2005
At Nanoethics meeting, Roco announces nanomachine/nanosystem project count has reached 300

 Nanotechnology is the study and use of structures between 1 nanometer and 100 nanometers in size. Nanotechnology is the postulated ability to manufacture objects and structures with atomic precision, literally atom by atom. This technology will have tremendous potential if it can be developed; simple applications involve the creation of new and powerful materials, perfect diamond in bulk quantities and a tool to manipulate objects on any scale. More advanced applications would involve massively parallel nanocomputers, self-replication and more or less bright nanodevices able to interact with their surroundings.Nanotechnology is the science of the extremely tiny. According to the US Government’s National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) “nanotechnology is the understanding and control of matter at dimensions of roughly 1 to 100 nanometers, where unique phenomena enable novel applications.”

Here is a vedio found on Youtube,will give an introsuction to nanotechnology.

Nanotechnology refers to the science and technology of building devices, such as electronic circuits, from single atoms and molecules.The term nanotechnology  been used more broadly to refer to techniques that produce or measure features less than 100 nanometers in size; this meaning embraces advanced microfabrication and metrology.

According to Britannica Concise Encyclopedia nanotechnogy is,

Manipulation of atoms, molecules, and materials to form structures on the scale of nanometres (billionths of a metre). These nanostructures typically exhibit new properties or behaviours due to quantum mechanics. In 1959 Richard Feynman first pointed out some potential quantum benefits of miniaturization. A major advancement was the invention of molecular-beam epitaxy by Alfred Cho and John Arthur at Bell Laboratories in 1968 and its development in the 1970s, which enabled the controlled deposition of single atomic layers. Scientists have made some progress at building devices, including computer components, at nanoscales. Faster progress has occurred in the incorporation of nanomaterials in other products, such as stain-resistant coatings for clothes and invisible sunscreens.

According to wikipedia,

Nanotechnology,is the study of the control of matter on an atomic and molecular scale. Generally nanotechnology deals with structures of the size 100 nanometers or smaller, and involves developing materials or devices within that size. Nanotechnology is very diverse, ranging from novel extensions of conventional device physics, to completely new approaches based upon molecular self-assembly, to developing new materials with dimensions on the nanoscale, even to speculation on whether we can directly control matter on the atomic scale.

The U.S. National Science Foundation defines it as: "Research and technology development in the length scale of approximately 1 to 100 nanometers." By this loose definition, some types of nanotechnology exist already, producing specialized materials and components including powders, films, and chemicals. Not spectacular, perhaps, but attractive to investors because many products will be improved significantly.

 When I'm searching the internet for nanotechnology related news,I find this news,this will pave a datatransfer speed revolution,so just publishing it.
    
  GridFTP, a protocol developed by researchers at Argonne National Laboratory, has been used to transfer unprecedented amounts of data over the Department of Energy's (DOE) Energy Sciences Network (ESnet), which provides a reliable, high-performance communications infrastructure to facilitate large-scale, collaborative science endeavors.

The Argonne-developed system proved key to enabling research groups at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee and the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center in California to move large data sets between the facilities at a rate of 200 megabytes per second. The deployment of GridFTP at the two computing facilities is part of a major project to optimize wide-area network data transfers between sites hosting DOE leadership-class computers.

 [Source: Argonne]

  A new form of water has been discovered by physicists in Argonne's Intense Pulsed Neutron Source (IPNS) Division. Called nanotube water, these molecules contain two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom but do not turn into ice — even at temperatures near absolute zero.
                                 
                                         NANO-WATER

  Instead, inside a single wall tube of carbon atoms less than 2 nanometers, or 2 billionths of a meter wide, the water forms an icy, inner wall of water molecules with a chain of liquid-like water molecules flowing through the center. This occurs at 8 Kelvins, which is minus 445 Fahrenheit. As the temperature rises closer to room temperature, the nanotube water gradually becomes liquid.

  [Source: Argonne]