Have you ever stopped to think about how long some of the technology we use every day has been around? It’s easy to assume that many of the gadgets and inventions we rely on are relatively new, but the truth might surprise you. Many pieces of technology that we consider modern have actually been around for decades, or even centuries!
Here are 21 fascinating examples of technology that are much older than most people realize. Get ready to have your mind blown and gain a new appreciation for the ingenuity of our ancestors.
The Fax Machine
Believe it or not, the first fax machine was invented way back in 1843 by a Scottish clockmaker named Alexander Bain. He figured out a way to send images over a wire using a pendulum and some electrochemistry. The modern fax machine as we know it today was developed in the 1960s, but the basic idea has been around for over 150 years!
The Electric Car
Many people think of electric cars as a recent invention, but they’ve actually been around since the 1800s. The first electric car was built in 1837 by a Scottish inventor named Robert Anderson. By the early 1900s, electric cars were quite popular, but they eventually lost out to gasoline-powered vehicles. Now, electric cars are making a comeback as we look for more environmentally friendly ways to get around.
The Microwave Oven
The microwave oven is another invention that most people think of as a modern convenience, but it was actually invented way back in 1946. Percy Spencer, an engineer working for Raytheon, discovered that microwaves could heat food while he was working on radar technology during World War II. The first microwave ovens were huge and expensive, but they eventually became smaller and more affordable for home use.
The Vending Machine
Vending machines might seem like a relatively recent invention, but the first one was actually created in the 1st century AD by a Greek mathematician named Hero of Alexandria. His machine dispensed holy water in exchange for a coin. Modern vending machines were invented in the late 1800s and have been dispensing snacks, drinks, and other items ever since.
The Helicopter
The idea of a helicopter has been around for centuries, with Leonardo da Vinci sketching designs for a flying machine with rotating blades in the late 1400s. However, the first practical helicopter wasn’t built until 1907 by French inventor Paul Cornu. It only flew for a few seconds, but it paved the way for the development of modern helicopters.
The Parking Meter
The first parking meter was installed in Oklahoma City in 1935, but the idea had been around for a while before that. In 1928, a man named Roger Babson suggested the idea of a “park-o-meter” to help regulate parking in congested areas. The parking meter has been a fixture of city streets ever since.
The Programmable Computer
Many people think of computers as a relatively recent invention, but the first programmable computer was actually created in the early 1800s by a man named Charles Babbage. His “Analytical Engine” used punch cards to store and process data, much like early modern computers. However, Babbage’s machine was never fully built during his lifetime.
The Flushing Toilet
The flushing toilet is another invention that most people take for granted, but it’s been around for a long time. The first flushing toilet was invented by Sir John Harington in 1596, but it didn’t catch on right away. In 1775, Alexander Cumming patented the first practical flush toilet, which used a bowl and a siphon to flush waste away.
The Toothbrush
The first toothbrush was invented in China in the 15th century, but it didn’t look like the toothbrushes we use today. These early toothbrushes were made from bamboo or bone handles with bristles made from the hair of pigs or other animals. Nylon bristles were introduced in 1938, and the modern toothbrush as we know it today has been around ever since.
The Can Opener
The can opener is another invention that most people use every day without thinking about its history. The first can opener was patented in 1858 by Ezra Warner, but it was a clunky and difficult-to-use device. The familiar wheel-style can opener that we use today wasn’t invented until 1925.
The Escalator
The first escalator was patented in 1892 by a man named Jesse W. Reno. He called it the “inclined elevator,” and it was originally designed to help people get up and down steep inclines at amusement parks. The first commercial escalator was installed in a department store in New York City in 1896.
The Windshield Wiper
The first windshield wiper was invented by a woman named Mary Anderson in 1903. She got the idea while riding a streetcar on a snowy day and noticed that the driver had to keep getting out to clear the snow and ice from the windshield. Her invention used a rubber blade and a hand-operated lever to clear the windshield, and it paved the way for the development of modern windshield wipers.
The Telephone
Alexander Graham Bell is often credited with inventing the telephone in 1876, but the idea of transmitting speech over wires had been around for a while before that. In fact, the first person to successfully transmit speech electrically was a man named Antonio Meucci, who demonstrated his “teletrofono” in 1856. However, Meucci lacked the funds to patent his invention, and Bell ended up getting the credit.
The Wristwatch
The first wristwatch was actually made for a woman, Countess Koscowicz of Hungary, in 1868. However, wristwatches didn’t become popular with men until the early 1900s, when they were issued to soldiers during World War I. Before that, most people used pocket watches.
The Vacuum Cleaner
The first vacuum cleaner was invented in 1860 by a man named Daniel Hess. His machine used bellows to create suction and a rotating brush to pick up dirt and dust. However, it wasn’t very practical and didn’t catch on. The first motorized vacuum cleaner was invented in 1901 by Hubert Cecil Booth, and the first portable vacuum cleaner was invented in 1907 by James Murray Spangler.
The Dishwasher
The first dishwasher was invented in 1850 by a man named Joel Houghton. His machine used a hand-cranked wheel to splash water on the dishes, but it wasn’t very effective. The first practical dishwasher was invented in 1887 by Josephine Cochrane, who came up with the idea because she was tired of her servants chipping her fine china while washing it by hand.
The Pencil
The pencil is another invention that most people take for granted, but it’s been around for a long time. The first pencils were used in ancient Rome, but they were made from lead and didn’t have erasers. The modern pencil with a graphite core and a wooden casing was invented in 1565 by a man named Conrad Gesner. The eraser on the end of the pencil wasn’t added until 1858.
The Zipper
The first zipper was invented in 1851 by a man named Elias Howe, who also invented the sewing machine. However, his zipper design was impractical and didn’t catch on. The modern zipper was invented in 1913 by Gideon Sundback, a Swedish-American engineer who worked for the Universal Fastener Company. Sundback’s design used interlocking teeth and a slider to open and close the zipper, and it quickly became popular for use in clothing and other applications.
The Alarm Clock
The first mechanical alarm clock was invented in 1787 by Levi Hutchins of Concord, New Hampshire. However, his clock could only be set to go off at 4 am, which was when he needed to wake up for work. The first adjustable mechanical alarm clock was patented in 1847 by a French inventor named Antoine Redier. The modern digital alarm clock wasn’t invented until the 1970s.
The Electric Razor
The first electric razor was invented in 1928 by Jacob Schick, a retired U.S. Army colonel. Schick’s razor used a small motor to vibrate a cutting head, which allowed for a closer and more comfortable shave than manual razors. However, electric razors didn’t become widely popular until the 1930s, when Remington started mass-producing them.
The Ballpoint Pen
The first ballpoint pen was invented in 1888 by a man named John J. Loud, who was trying to create a writing instrument that would work on rough surfaces like leather. However, Loud’s pen was too coarse for paper and didn’t catch on.
The modern ballpoint pen was invented in 1938 by a Hungarian journalist named László Bíró, who was looking for a way to avoid smudging his newspaper articles. Bíró’s pen used a small ball bearing to dispense quick-drying ink, and it quickly became popular around the world.
Ellen has been obsessed with logic puzzles, jigsaws, and cryptograms since she was a kid. After learning she was taught how to play chess wrong by a family friend (so they could win), she joined her school chess club and the rest is history.
