It may not have been the birth of sub MOA accuracy, but I think Remingtons introduction of the 722 chambered for .222 Rem was the first time sub MOA was available to the masses. Before that it was either a custom rifle, or a lot of luck, or maybe both. With the 722, Joe varmint hunter could walk into the local hardware store and walk out with a gun and ammo that was realistically capable of accuracy in the 1/2 MOA range. Rifle design, bullet quality, button rifled barrels, and scope quality all came together in the early post-war era to make honestly consistent sub MOA accuracy a reality.
John
