The history of mankind is the constant progress of technology, accompanied by new discoveries and inventions. We decided to find out how the things that surround us in everyday life were invented and became familiar to us.
Toothpaste
The analogue of toothpaste was known in ancient times. The ancient Egyptians used a special mixture to clean their teeth from food debris. In the Middle Ages, salt was used to brush teeth, and at the end of the 18th century. On the basis of chalk, tooth powder was created, which was packaged in paper bags. Creation at the end of the 19th century. liquid paste, which was initially packed in glass jars, was the achievement of the Colgate pharmacist, whose surname is still associated with one of the popular brands of this hygiene product. Curiously, the pharmacist was not as adventurous as the Sheffield dentist, who quickly adopted a colleague's invention and patented it in his own name. Sheffield can be thanked for such a familiar tube for toothpaste, the idea of which the dentist implemented in 1892.
Toothbrush
The toothbrush is also a very ancient invention. If the ancient Egyptians still brushed their teeth with their fingers, then already in Ancient India and the Arab East they have long used for this purpose aromatized wooden sticks with splitting at the end, which spread in Europe only by the end of the 17th century. The most similar to the modern toothbrush with a bone handle and a pig bristle brush was patented at the end of the 19th century. American Wadsworth. Modern toothbrushes with synthetic fibers appeared only in 1938.
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Toilet paper
For a long time, the Americans used corn stubs for such purposes, and their usual toilet paper came into use only at the beginning of the 20th century. But the Chinese have long used paper for hygiene purposes, and since the 16th century, a whole industry has already developed there for its creation. In Europe, toilet paper officially appeared at the end of the 19th century. in England, and it was not in the usual rolls, but in square packages. It was only in 1928 that they thought of wrapping paper in a roll.
Soap
It is believed that the technology for making soap was known as early as Babylon, although historians suggest that the first soap appeared due to the ancient Romans. In Russia, the first technologies of soap products came from Byzantium, and in Europe, the fashion for hygiene with the use of soap came only at the end of the 17th century. A real soap empire was created at this time in the vastness of England, where the first patent for the production of such a hygiene product was issued. Liquid soap appeared in 1865, but due to its thickness, it was not initially very popular and was used exclusively for washing.
Wheel
The wheel is one of the most ancient inventions, without which it is difficult to imagine the development of further technology, which is based on this rotating element. But it is difficult to say who and when exactly invented this unique thing. Historians date the first images of the wheel back to the 4th millennium BC. e. and believe that its inventors could have been the inhabitants of Mesopotamia. Closer to the modern wheel of a bicycle or car, an invention was invented by William Thompson in 1846. His wheel was closest to typical tires, and was ideally improved after 40 years by a talented Scotsman to the appearance of a familiar pneumatic tire.
A bike
History does not stand still, and after the improved wheel, a bicycle appeared, the invention of which is still associated with something known for a long time. Although this means of movement was invented not so long ago, and its inventor is not exactly known. Usually the invention of the bicycle is associated with the name of Karl Dres, who in 1818 patented the prototype of the modern two-wheeled bicycle, calling it a "jogging machine." After that, many inventors made efforts to improve such transport, and the very name "bicycle" appeared only in 1862.
Internal combustion engine
Speaking about the history of the development of modern transport, it is difficult not to recall the most significant invention, which can take second place in this area after the emergence of the wheel - the creation of an internal combustion engine. The first experiments in this direction began to be carried out by the physicist Huygens (17th century). His experiments were continued by the Frenchman Denis Papin, but his attempts were still unsuccessful. And only almost 20 years later, it was possible to create the first properly functioning internal combustion engine, which subsequently went through more than one modification to a modern form, but at that time created a real breakthrough in the field of transport, allowing to increase the speed of movement.
Petrol
The famous English physicist Faraday was the first to get gasoline officially, calling it an Arabic word. It is difficult to understand this logic, because the name is translated as "incense", although the smell of perfume does not exactly resemble. It is difficult for a modern motorist to imagine that once gasoline was sold not at gas stations, but in pharmacies, because initially this fuel was used only as an antiseptic. This substance began to be used for a car only at the end of the 19th century, and the first gas stations appeared in the United States at the beginning of the 20th century.
Matches
It is difficult to imagine the life of a primitive or a modern person without fire and light. Heat and lighting play a significant role in life, so matches can be considered one of the most important human inventions. Methods for producing fire have existed for a long time, but they were all unsafe, therefore, with the development of chemistry, the question of improving such capabilities arose, and matches appeared in the early 19th century. True, the first options were dangerous for people, because instead of sulfur, contact with sulfuric acid was used for ignition. The first safe, non-toxic matches appeared only in the middle of the 19th century.
Electricity
Modern life is definitely impossible to imagine without electricity. It will turn out to be a real Stone Age, although people until the 19th century lived calmly without the presence of electric lighting in their homes. The first experiments on electricity began in the 19th century, and the development of this direction was initiated by Faraday. A significant breakthrough in the development of electricity was the invention in 1867 of a generator, with the help of which they began to receive cheap electricity, which ultimately led to the fact that already 11 years later, the first electric bulbs appeared on the streets of Paris.
Electronic and electric lamp
The development of electricity led to the invention of the vacuum tube, the creator of which was John Fleming in 1905, who successfully used Edison's experiments. This invention was supplemented a couple of years later by the American Forest, which subsequently led to the rapid evolution of radio receiver circuits and the development of electronics.
But the most important achievement in the development of electricity was the invention of the electric lamp. From the first lamp to the one that is most familiar to modern electricity consumers, there have been many changes, so we can say that many scientists have worked on its creation. But when remembering the inventors of this source of lighting in the house, the names of Yablochkov and Edison are usually heard, whose experiments served as the basis for the industrial development of electric lamps.
Transistor
The invention of the vacuum tube was only the first step in the development of electronics, and the invention of the transistor made a significant contribution to the development of radio engineering and communication. This event took place already in the middle of the 20th century, and two Americans from the Bell firm became the inventors of this "miracle of technology". The first transistors were not very reliable and were far from technical perfection, but this was the beginning of the path to the creation of microcircuits and the improvement of radio electronics.
Radio
Radiophysics has been developed since Maxwell's theory in 1873, but the first radio receiver was born a little later, 22 years later, thanks to the talented Russian scientist - Alexander Popov. Only an official patent for this invention of the century was received by the Italian Marconi, in connection with which the disputes about the owner of the palm tree in this matter are still ongoing. The first radio message was transmitted precisely thanks to Popov's invention, and from that moment the use of radio communications in shipping began. The Americans, however, believe that the first radio receiver is the merit of the physicist Tesla. But whoever was the creator of radio and radio communications, this is indeed one of the most important inventions of mankind, along with electricity and the telephone.
Phone
The transmission of news at a distance was thought of in ancient times, but with the development of electricity and the conduct of numerous experiments, the possibility of high-speed transmission of information seemed no longer mystic, but a reality. Around the same time that radio communication emerged, mankind acquired a telephone. Such an important event took place in 1876. The inventor of this communication device was the teacher of deaf-mute children - the Scotsman Alexander Bell. Fascinated by acoustics, he dreamed of creating a unique device for communication, and through numerous experiments he managed to achieve the desired goal. The history of the mobile phone, more familiar to modern mankind, is not so long. Such a device appeared for the first time in 1973 thanks to Martin Cooper. The first "mobile phone" looked more like a brick than a means of communication,but it was from this that its evolution began, reaching touchscreen phones, iPhones and other modern means of mobile communication.
Glass
Glass is one of the most ancient and especially popular materials in modern life, the invention of which is especially important for mankind. Archaeologists claim that glass was known in the Arab East as far back as the 3rd millennium BC. No less ancient glass items have also been found in India, Japan and China. They also believe that no one invented glass on purpose: it turned out to be a by-product of various crafts (in particular, pottery or copper smelting). The greatest effect in the creation of glass in the Middle Ages was achieved by Europeans - Germans and Czechs, who were famous for their glass enterprises. They also inherited the glassmaking traditions from the Venetians.
Plastic
Plastic is the most popular material of our time, the history of which is not as rich as that of glass, and is associated with the development of chemical science. The invention of plastics can be compared to the discovery of iron and copper in terms of the significance of a breakthrough in the development of materials technology. This discovery refers to the 30s. 19th century. Initially, plastic did not receive wide distribution, but with a change in the process of its production and use to create cheaper raw materials, this material won back a leading position among other artificial materials.
Concrete and reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete can be called a modern material that arose against the background of the rapid development of industry, starting from the middle of the 20th century. Along with concrete, it is one of the most common building materials. Anyone who is not related to construction may not even assume that concrete has been known since ancient times, and such a material based on a mixture of gravel and reddish lime was used by the ancient Romans. Yes, and the Egyptian pyramids were not without the use of reinforced concrete, which has long been used to create monolithic structures. More modern technologies for the manufacture of concrete and reinforced concrete date back to the end of the 19th century and are most often associated with the name of the Frenchman Monier, and their improvement continues to this day, because science does not stand still.
Before the invention of the telegraph and the telephone, the main opportunity for transmitting news at a distance was the postal service, which goes back to ancient times. Even in the great powers of the ancient world, there were special mail delivery services, and a fast messenger was worth its weight in gold. Trading caravans can be safely called an analogue of modern courier mail, delivering goods in different directions.
Postal envelope
The most ancient postal envelope was far from paper, but … clay. However, the letter itself was the same at that time. The inhabitants of Babylon, who are considered the creators of the first letters, wrote their messages on clay tablets, and so that the messenger did not know what it was about, such “letters” after burning were covered with a new layer of clay and the recipient's address was applied. Reburning allowed the "letter" and "envelope" not to merge together, so the recipient could break the package and read the enclosed message. Paper envelopes were the achievement of the British. In 1820, a certain Mr. Brewer came up with the idea of selling special paper bags for packing paper letters, which began to be in great demand. Initially they were called "Brever's packages", but the word "envelope" was introduced into circulation - from the English. "close".
Postage Stamp
The predecessor to the postage stamp was a French-designed envelope label. Such a distinctive sign, marking paid correspondence, appeared in 1653. The label was placed on the envelope, which indicated payment. Nevertheless, the origin of the postage stamp is associated with the British. Rowland Hill became the founder of this postal attribute, which appeared in 1840, and his idea was developed into its modern form by the brand bookseller Chalmers.
greeting card
As with many postal attributes, the British had a hand in the appearance of greeting cards, which were sent by mail for a long time, who first created such a greeting card in the 15th century. The first holiday, typical Christmas cards appeared at the end of the 18th century, and the artist Dobson became their creator, who decided to congratulate all his friends in this way. Many people liked the idea, and cardboard cards with beautiful illustrations became an accompanying element of any holiday greetings.
Pencil
Writing instruments originated long ago. In ancient times, analogs of modern pens and pencils were various sticks that were used to write on clay, or, in the case of harder materials, on stone. The first modern writing instrument was a pencil, invented in 1794, the idea of which came from the Frenchman Jacques Conte. Although before that, back in the 14th century, there were "Italian pencils" - thin rods of black slate, with which they were drawn. Conte's pencil was created by mixing graphite with clay and was of high quality. In Russia, Lomonosov had a hand in creating wooden pencils with a lead.
Pen
An analogue of a ballpoint pen, which was a tube with a certain liquid resembling ink, was found in the tomb of the Egyptian pharaoh. Against this background, it is even difficult to believe how people could use a pen for writing for a long time, because the first modern fountain pen was created only in 1884 by the Englishman Waterman. It was he who came up with the idea to fill the pen with ink. This discovery was refined in 1943 by Laszlo Biro, who provided fast drying ink for ease of use with a fountain pen.
Clip
One of the most popular elements of the office is the paper clip that emerged back in 1899. The inventor of such a simple and almost irreplaceable thing in office work was the Norwegian Johann Valer. Before the appearance of paper clips, papers were held together by stitching with threads, and this did not bother anyone, although attempts were made to improve the binding of paper piles. They used pins, springs, and tin plates, but a functional Valera clip turned out to be the best option.
Stapler
No less important for clerical needs was the invention of the stapler in 1841, the founder of which is considered the American Samuel Slocum. In the first such tool, only one staple was placed, with which it was possible to fasten the paper at two points. The very same standard name for this irreplaceable thing in offices appeared only at the dawn of the 20th century, and an improved stapler with fastened strips of staples appeared only in 1923. Such a tool made life much easier for office workers.
Adhesive plaster
Using the usual adhesive plaster for cuts or calluses, few people think about when this patch first appeared on adhesive tape and who was its creator. The story is so incredibly simple and familiar to everyone in its own way. This medical plaster was invented by the practical German pharmacist Paul Beuersdorf in 1882. To create it, he used a piece of linen cloth, on which he applied rubber, resin and zinc oxide. Such a patch made it possible to heal wounds faster and did not cause irritation on the skin. True, this idea would have been a dead weight if the enterprising Oskar Troplowitz had not met the pharmacist, who would now be called a talented marketer and advertiser. It was thanks to his talents that the adhesive plaster went to the masses, and it is still used today.
Needle
If you look for an object that humanity would invariably use, starting from primitive people and ending with a modern progressive society, then such a simple and necessary thing as a needle will come out on top. African tribes still use needles made from natural materials, but the first metal needle appeared in ancient China. The Europeans, however, put the production of needles on a mass flow only in the 14th century, and the palm, as in many inventions, went to the British, who created the needle with a standard eye that is most familiar to everyone now.
Fireworks
Without this miracle of pyrotechnics, almost not one holiday now passes, but it arose quite a long time ago. The ancient Chinese are considered to be the inventors of the holiday fireworks. Most curiously, a Chinese chef had a hand in creating such beauty, and quite by accident, creating a mixture of salt, coal and sulfur and putting it in a bamboo tube, not at all expecting what effect this might have. But the accidental invention did not go unnoticed, and fireworks became a component of any celebration, gradually moving from China and to Europe, although the Chinese themselves initially perceived fireworks as an excellent means to scare away evil spirits.
Microwave
No matter how completely unrelated things may seem to housekeeping and the military industry, it is thanks to the latter that modern housewives since 1945 have at their disposal such useful appliances in everyday life as a microwave oven. The inventor of this thing was the American military man Percy Spencer. While working on the creation of a microwave emitter, he noticed that in the course of his experiments he accidentally turned a chocolate bar into a molten mass. After doing several more experiments on food with these microwaves, Spencer eventually registered his invention, which became known to everyone as a microwave.
PC mouse
Even in the presence of touch devices, a computer mouse does not tend to give way to its popularity, remaining still a popular element for most users. For its shape, this detail initially acquired the name "beetle", but for some reason it did not take root, but "mouse", for the analogue of a long connecting wire like the tail of a real animal, everyone liked it. This thing got such creative names thanks to its inventor - American Douglas Engelbart. The idea of creating a "mouse" came to him back in his student years, but it turned out to be realized only in 1964. Bill English, who assembled the first model of a computer mouse, and Jeff Rulifson, who wrote a program for it, also had to work on the creation of this manipulator.
Disposable diapers (pampers)
Pampers were included in the list of the 30 most important inventions of the 20th century for making life easier. It is worth noting that this item in its importance has taken a place on a par with a TV, an airplane and a computer, which in itself says a lot. When in the Soviet Union they were endlessly washing and ironing diapers, in Europe they were already working to alleviate the fate of all mothers in the world, coming up with how to implement the idea of a comfortable disposable diaper. The first were the Swedes who released their diapers in the 40s. 20th century, but the product turned out to be non-functional. Then the American woman with many children Donovan tried to implement this idea. The creation of modern diapers was a success for the representative of Procter & Gamble, whose products are still popular today.
Fork
Now the fork is such a popular cutlery that it is difficult to imagine how they could do without it until the 17th century, and even banned because of associations with evil spirits. The very first forks appeared in the Middle East in the 9th century, but "civilized" Europe for a long time denied this cutlery. It is believed that the first fork came to Europe from Byzantium and was intended for the royal person. For a long time, the church prohibited the use of this cutlery, but nevertheless, the fork took its place on the table next to the plate, becoming an invariable attribute of the dining service.
A spoon
In addition to the fact that this cutlery is older than its neighbor at the feast - the forks, it is also with a happier fate. Unlike a fork, the spoon was not persecuted and was even used as a gift for church holidays, and the custom of dining sets for 12 persons arose from the biblical legend of the 12 apostles. The very first spoons were made of baked clay, and later they were replaced by wooden ones - for the common people and ivory - for aristocrats.
Plate
The oldest plates were made of clay, and archaeologists find their shards during excavations of the most ancient sites, so it is impossible to say exactly when this cutlery appeared. The first decorative plates, as well as plates made of tin and precious metals, have already appeared in ancient Greece and Rome. The Chinese created the first porcelain plates, which it was from this eastern people that migrated to the tables of wealthy Europeans. Such plates were more often rectangular, but the round shape was more acceptable for clay products.
Napkins
In addition to dishes and cutlery, modern table setting is hard to imagine without napkins. For the first time, this element of table decor appeared more than 2 thousand years ago in Spain, and the first modern napkins at the table, oddly enough, were used not by aristocrats, but by the working class. There is a legend that for the first time Leonardo da Vinci decided to use napkins as an obligatory element of a table meal, but the British, who registered this fact in 1887, officially took over the patented idea. Then the tables were decorated with linen napkins, and paper napkins appeared during the First World War as a result shortage of material.