17 Unexpectedly Old Inventions We Consider Modern

September 24, 2024 History, Interesting 1 Comment

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Discover 17 ‘modern’ inventions that actually boast a rich history, revealing how these seemingly new ideas have been influencing our lives for much longer than we realize.

The first 3D printer dates back to 1981

2. The Cigarette Lighter

The cigarette lighter predates the match. The lighter was invented in 1823, whereas the match was invented three years later in 1826.

3. The Electric Car

The first electric car was invented in Germany in 1888

4. Braking Systems

Ancient Roman carts employed brakes, bearings and elastic suspensions.

5. The Pythagorean Theorem

The Pythagorean Theorem dates back to the days of ancient Babylon circa 1900 B.C.E.

6. Altoids

“A random small one: Altoids. They were invented three years before the U.S. became a recognized country, in 1780.”

7. Contact Lenses

“Da Vinci invented the contact lens in the 16th century. Obviously not the modern version of it, but he laid the groundwork to correct people’s vision through a lens.”

8. The Microwave

The Microwave was patented in 1945.

9. UAVs (or Drones)

The first UAV was used in battle in 1849.

10. Linoleum

Linoleum was first created in [1860], and was a very common flooring during Victorian [and] Edwardian periods.

11. Vaccines

The first vaccine was given in 1796, after Dr. Edward Jenner discovered that people who became sick with cowpox developed an immunity to smallpox.

12. Electric Street Lights

“The first electric street lights were installed in [1880]”

13. Running Water

“Running water. Go back to 1850 and it didn’t exist. There were outhouses or if you lived in a major city such as New York, you used a chamber pot and just threw your urine and feces out the window to fall into the streets below. But go back 2,000 years and the Ancient Romans had running water. Clearly it was invented long ago but for some reason we lost that technology until the late 1800’s.”

14. Vending Machines

The first modern vending machines date back to the early 1800s in London.

15. The Electric Motor

“The electric motor was first invented in 1832.”

16. The Calculator … Kind Of

“The abacus could fairly be considered a calculator and was in use a couple thousand years BCE.”

17. The Fax Machine

“The fact that the fax machine was invented in [the mid 1800s], Lincoln died in 1865, and samurai’s were still around in 1868, meant that Abraham Lincoln could have sent a fax to a Samurai.”

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