All inventions, especially when it comes to household appliances, have multiple dates of origin.
First, a concept emerges in someone’s mind, the theoretical part is developed, and sometimes patents are filed at this stage. Next comes a period of experimental trials, where different approaches are tested, and the most promising direction is identified. In the end, after years or even decades, the invention becomes available to the mass consumer. We will focus on this final stage, specifically the dates when these inventions became part of everyday life.
Refrigerator
The first electric refrigerator that made its way into private homes was invented in 1913. The device was considered a luxury item and used toxic substances for cooling. In 1926, Danish engineer Christian Steenstrup designed a modern-type refrigerator. The device operated almost silently and already used safe Freon. However, separate freezer compartments appeared even later.
How people lived before: People have long known the benefits of ice and cold. As far back as Ancient Rome, servants would collect ice in the mountains and from frozen bodies of water. However, ice delivered to the table or home still had a very short shelf life. Common folk had to rely on other methods. Primarily, they used cellars. You might even remember seeing them at your grandmother’s house in the countryside. Other common methods for preserving perishable food included smoking, salting, pickling, and drying. Later, canning also became popular. However, enjoying regular water with ice cubes was something ordinary people couldn’t do until the second half of the 20th century.
Water Heater
Household wall-mounted water heaters began appearing in 1905. The invention is attributed to two people: Johann Vaillant and Hugo Junkers. Both engineers eventually established production and launched their products. The devices remained quite unstable until 1929 when the thermoelectric gas supply shut-off switch was invented. From that point on, home access to warm water became safe.
How people lived before: Since ancient times, people have sought out natural sources of warm water, which were great for comfortable bathing, though it was always desirable to have such a miracle closer to home. Initially, fire was used to heat water to the desired temperature, but in very limited quantities. Public baths, or thermae, became a true treasure of Rome in 19 BCE, when political figure Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa made them free for all citizens. These buildings had double walls and floors, with air heated by furnaces directed through hollow spaces. This method remained the most common and accessible until modern times. However, the vast majority of people on the planet used special cauldrons placed over open fire or embers.
Washing Machine
In the early 1900s, inventors from various countries developed several types of washing machines intended for mass production. These designs ranged from the most primitive, manually operated models to more advanced versions using internal combustion engines. The fully automatic washing machine appeared in 1937, but due to World War II, mass production only began in 1946.
How people lived before: Modern washing machines perform multiple functions: washing, rinsing, spinning, and drying. In the past, each of these steps had to be done manually. There was even a common profession – the laundress. Washing was quite labor-intensive, as it required a lot of water. The task was somewhat simplified if there was a river nearby; otherwise, heavy buckets of water had to be carried by hand. The drying process largely depended on weather conditions. Sometimes the situation became downright absurd. For example, during the California Gold Rush, it was cheaper for miners to buy a new shirt than to wash an old one.
Batteries
They are more accurately called “lithium-ion batteries.” The inventor is considered to be British-American chemist Stanley Whittingham, who later became a Nobel laureate. The working principle and the first prototypes appeared in 1970. Over the next few years, they spread across all developed countries. It may be difficult to fully grasp the scale of this invention, but these batteries truly changed our lives. Just think about the significance of the word “portability,” which would be impossible without compact and affordable energy sources.
How people lived before: Before the invention of batteries or rechargeable cells, portability was relatively accessible only to the military and scientific expeditions. People working in these fields had access to technologies that allowed them to generate electricity without wires. However, even radio receivers were bulky, required special skills to operate, and contained many toxic elements like mercury and lead. Think about those scenes in historical films where people start cars using a special crank handle. In such cars, there often weren’t even headlights, let alone radios.
Air Conditioner
General Electric introduced the first window air conditioner in 1929. Ammonia, a toxic refrigerant, was used, so the compressor and condenser were placed outside to prevent harmful fumes from entering the home. A few years later, split systems began using Freon. At that time, engineers combined all the components into a single unit, which was still kept outside to reduce noise. Since then, the principle and design have remained largely unchanged. The first split systems capable of smoothly regulating power output only appeared in 1981.
How people lived before: It’s much easier to escape from the cold than from the heat. You can simply put on an extra layer of clothing, whether it’s a knitted sweater or the pelt of a cave lion. However, even stripping down completely, a person would still feel the heat. Water bodies provided relief, but it wasn’t possible to spend the entire season by a river. Architecture with high ceilings and wide windows was used to create drafts, but this was accessible to only a few. Of course, we know about handheld fans. There were also primitive “automated systems” in the form of several servants with large fans. For city dwellers in the early 20th century, the only way to cool down was with cold drinks and ice packs. The installation of industrial air conditioners in movie theaters triggered a boom in the film industry. Attendance during the summer season increased several times over.
Personal Computer
In 1977, two companies simultaneously introduced their mass-produced home computers to the public: the Apple II and the Commodore PET. The name of the latter is quite creative. PET stands for Personal Electronic Transactor. However, the acronym amusingly translates to “pet” in English. These machines are considered the precursors to the widespread computerization boom. Commodore never made it to our country but had a line of home computers called Amiga, which became iconic in the U.S. and Europe.
How people lived before: Texts were written by hand or on typewriters. In fact, many well-known computer manufacturers, including Commodore, started with typewriters. Information processing was done by people. Calculators and more primitive devices like abacuses or adding machines already existed. However, at every stage of data processing, whether it was input or recording, there were numerous errors caused by human factors. All databases were stored on paper, which was highly unreliable. A good example is the story of the gangster Charles “Pretty Boy” Floyd, who became famous and even a folk hero. While robbing banks, he made sure to burn debt records, freeing ordinary people from their burdens.
Internet
In 1990, the ARPANET network ceased to exist, having lost out to NSFNet in competition. That same year, the first “dial-up” connection to the internet via a telephone line occurred. By mid-1991, the World Wide Web became publicly accessible, although it was still quite expensive. Its reach quickly expanded as new providers entered the market and tools and protocols for developers were established. In 1993, the Mosaic browser was introduced — a web browser with a graphical interface. It became the gateway to a new world for tens of millions of people.
How people lived before: First of all, no cat memes — only hand-drawn cartoons on sharp political or social topics. To obtain the necessary information, people had to read books. Moreover, to find the right book, one needed to sign up for a library. Rare copies were not available for home borrowing. Personal communication was available via telephone, but long-distance calls were expensive. Therefore, until the mid-1990s, people wrote letters. International communication was almost non-existent if we are talking about personal connections between ordinary people. News was obtained from newspapers or television broadcasts. This information was not only strictly censored but could also lose its relevance by the time it reached the audience.
