In 1994, the company that had a patent on GIFs tried to charge a fee for using GIFS. The PNG was invented as an alternative, and the company backed down.
100 Mind-Blowing Invented Facts
Volvo invented the three-point seatbelt and then gave the invention away for free. They decided it was too important of an invention to keep to themselves.
Bubble wrap was originally invented to be wallpaper. The creators tried to make plastic wallpaper with paper backing, but it came out with plastic backing.
Nutella was invented during WWII when an Italian pastry maker mixed hazelnuts into chocolate to extend his chocolate ration.
Walter Hunt, a man from America, invented the safety pin back in 1849.
The spiked dog collar was invented by the Ancient Greeks to protect their dogs from wolf attacks.
Invented in 1923, Q-Tips were originally called Baby Gays; then Q-Tip Baby Gays, then finally, just Q-Tips. The Q stands for quality.
When cellophane was invented in 1908, it was originally intended to be used to protect tablecloths from wine spills.
Thomas Edison invented an electric pen in 1876 that was later adapted to become the first tattoo machine in 1891.
The first jet aircraft was invented in Nazi Germany. Development started in 1936, but the first takeoff occurred in 1939.
False eyelashes were invented in 1916 when a producer wanted to enhance an actress’s eyes in a movie. The lashes were made of human hair.
Gatorade was invented to help the Florida Gators Football Team stay hydrated.
The television was invented only two years after the invention of sliced bread.
Chainsaws were first invented for childbirth. It was developed in Scotland in the late 18th Century to help aid and speed up the process of symphysiotomy (widening the pubic cartilage) and removal of disease-laden bone during childbirth. It wasn’t until the start of the 20th Century that we started using chainsaws for woodchopping.
The printing press, which revolutionised the sharing of information, was invented by Gutenberg around the year 1440.
As Food52 reported, the San Francisco syrup company Torani is said to have invented the flavoured latte in 1982. Its origin story alleges that the retired coffee industry veteran LC “Brandy” Brandenburg created a flavoured latte out of steamed milk, espresso and Torani’s vanilla and orange syrups, which he dubbed “Fantasia.”
Despite the name, Thomas’ Breads English Muffins aren’t British; the product was invented in the U.S.
German chocolate cake was invented in Texas. The “German” part of German chocolate cake comes from an American man—not a European country. Specifically, it’s named after Sam German, who in 1852 created the formula for a mild dark baking chocolate bar for Baker’s Chocolate Company, which was subsequently named Baker’s German’s Sweet Chocolate. Fast-forward to June 13, 1957. The Dallas Morning Star published the recipe for the cake, invented and submitted by a reader identified as Mrs. George Clay, according to What’s Cooking America.
Mercedes invented a car controlled by a joystick. The joystick in the 1966 Mercedes F200 showcases car-controlled speed and direction, replacing both the steering wheel and pedals. The car could also sense which side the driver was sitting on, so someone could control it from the passenger seat.
Glitter may have originated on a ranch. According to local lore, a man by the name of Henry Ruschmann from Bernardsville, New Jersey, invented glitter by accident in 1934 while working on a cattle ranch. The New York Times reports that in the popular origin story, Ruschmann, a machinist, was trying to find a way to dispose of scrap material by crushing it into tiny pieces. Plastic went in, glitter came out, and the rest is commonly accepted as history.
Uncle Ben’s rice was air-dropped to World War II troops. German chemist Erich Huzenlaub invented a process of parboiling rice to keep more nutrients in the rice and lessen the cooking time. The “Huzenlaub Process” had another unexpected benefit: It stopped bug infestations. The quick-cook, bug-free rice was a big advantage during World War II, and converted rice (as it was then known) was air-dropped to American and British troops. After the war, the company rebranded itself and became Uncle Ben’s Original Converted Brand Rice, named after one of the company’s best rice suppliers. The product hit grocery store shelves in 1947.
The first stroller was engineered to be pulled by a goat (or animal of similar size). William Kent, a landscape architect, invented the first stroller for the third Duke of Devonshire in 1733. But upper-class parents were hardly expected to put effort into transporting their children around, so Kent designed his model to be pulled by a small animal, like a goat.
Roller coasters were invented to distract Americans from sin. In the 1880s, hosiery businessman LaMarcus Thompson hated that Americans were tempted by hedonistic places like saloons and brothels. So he set out to straighten up one of the most immoral places he could think of: Coney Island in New York. There, he built America’s first roller coaster to give New Yorkers some good, clean fun—away from seedier pastimes.
Ice pops were invented by an 11-year-old by accident. In 1905, an 11-year-old boy named Frank Epperson left soda powder and water outside overnight with its wooden stirrer still in the cup. The mixture had frozen in the chilly nighttime weather, and so the Epsicle was born. He sold the treat around his neighbourhood and a nearby amusement park and even patented the recipe. Years later, he changed the name to Popsicle because that’s what his kids called their pop’s concoction.
Before toilet paper was invented, Americans used to use corn cobs. Alternatively, they’d use periodicals like the Farmers Almanac, which was designed with a hole so it could hang in outhouses. Necessity is the mother of invention, after all.
PEZ candy was invented to help smokers quit. The Austrian PEZ creator named the candies after the German word for peppermint (Pffefferminz). When they were introduced in 1927, they were round mints sold in tins, so you probably wouldn’t see a former chain smoker with a Mickey Mouse dispenser.
The office chair is believed to have been invented by Charles Darwin. The scientist had the idea to attach wheels to his chair so he could move around between his many tables.
Cadbury Flakes were invented by accident. One day a factory worker realised that the excess chocolate which dripped down the side of the bars cooled into a ribbon-like shape aka a flake. The Cadbury Flake was then launched in 1920.
The Caesar salad recently turned 100 years old. It was invented in July 1924 by Caesar Cardini, an Italian chef who owned a restaurant in Tijuana, Mexico.
The electric chair was invented by a dentist. In more shocking fun facts (perhaps literally): Alfred Southwick was a dentist who conceptualized electrical execution when he heard of an intoxicated man who died from touching a live electric generator. Realizing the man’s quick death, Southwick concluded that electricity could be an alternative to hanging for executions. However, he first intended for electrocution to euthanize stray dogs.
Computer mouse speed is measured in “Mickeys.” The roller-ball device was first invented by a British scientist in 1946 while working for the Royal Navy. However, the word “mouse” was not coined until 1965.
The first roller coaster was invented to stop sinful behaviour. When LaMarcus Thompson created the first roller coaster in Coney Island, he did it to stop the sinful lifestyle of New Yorkers. The rise of brothels in the late 1800s disgusted Thompson who wanted to provide a family-friendly way to indulge.
The design for the seatbelts we use now was given away by Volvo. Before 1966, seatbelts were not mandated. During this period, seatbelts just secured the lap but offered no upper-body protection. When Nils Bohlin of Volvo invented the three-point seatbelt design, he gave away the patent for free to keep drivers safe.
The tiny pocket in jeans is for pocket watches. When jeans were invented by Jacob Davis and Levi Strauss in 1893, they only had four pockets: one in the back, two in the front, and a tiny pocket.
Mercedes invented a joystick-controlled car. In 1966, Mercedes released the Mercedes F200. One of its most defining features is its joystick controller that replaces the steering wheel and pedals. The car could sense which side the driver was sitting on, so someone could control it from the passenger seat.
Glitter was invented by a farmer. You wouldn’t think something as sparkly and extravagant as glitter was created by a farmer. Henry Ruschmann of New Jersey was a cattle rancher who crushed plastic in 1934 to dispose of it. The resulting powdered form is what we now know as glitter.
Aquariums were supposed to be for cows. In Latin, aquarium translates to a “watering place for cattle.” However, the first aquarium invented in 1921 was not for cows.
The first baby stroller was pulled by animals. William Kent invented the first stroller for the 3rd Duke of Devonshire in 1733. However, it did not have handles for parents. Instead, the strollers were pulled by goats, dogs, or miniature horses.
Brunch was invented as a way of curing hangovers. This meal would be enjoyed as a late breakfast that leans more towards fatty foods. This came from the belief that alcohol causes cravings for greasy food to increase.
The ‘?!’ punctuation mark has a term. It is called an interrobang and was invented during the 1960s. This combination of punctuation made it easy for advertisements to express emotional questions. The interrobang originally looked like both marks were overlapped (‽).
‘OMG’ was first used in a letter to Winston Churchill in 1917. A retired British admiral of the Royal Navy one day became excited due to headlines regarding the mobilising forces of Britain. Excited to share this news with a college, the admiral quickly wrote a small acronym for ‘Oh My God!’ in his letter. Little did he know that he had just invented one of the most popular acronyms in today’s society.
A janitor invented the flaming hot Cheetos. One of the janitors working at the Frito-Lay plant in Southern California pitched the idea of adding chilli powder to the regular product. Top Brass liked the idea and so did many consumers. This leads the janitor to a generous promotion where he is now an executive for PepsiCo.
The inventor of the frisbee became a frisbee himself. During the 1950s, Steady Ed invented the frisbee, and later on the sport of disc golf in the 70s. He dedicated his life to frisbees and it was stated in his final testimonials that he wished to have his ashes turned into a frisbee itself. This was so that he would be able to play with his son even when he wasn’t around.
The spiked dog collars are meant to protect their necks from attacks. This iconic accessory was invented by the Ancient Greeks to protect their dogs against wolves when attacked. The spikes would prevent predators from instantly causing heavy damage to their dog’s necks.
The match was invented after the lighter. The first match was made in 1826. However, the first cigarette lighter was made in 1823.
A dentist invented the electric chair. In 1881 a dentist witnessed a man quickly die in a chair after touching an electric generator. After this experience, he soon realized that using electricity could be a more humane way of execution.
A dentist invented cotton candy. The dentist William Morrison was also a confectionary who invented the machine that spun sugar crystals into a thread. This was introduced in 1904 as fairy floss until another dentist reinvented the machine and called it cotton candy.
The ice cream cone was invented during the 1904 St. Louis World Fair. The invention of this edible container was made when a Syrian named Ernest E. Hamwi used batter at his waffle booth to make cones. This was done to help out his neighbor who kept running out of serving bowls.
The smiley was nearly invented by Vladimir Nabokov. This Russian-American writer stated how it was important to create special punctuation marks to indicate emotion in writing. Nabokov was the first to propose the smiley as a way to add humour and make the text more lively.
The popsicle was invented by an 11-year-old. According to the story, an 11-year-old by the name of Frank Epperson left his soda mixed with water outside in a cup overnight. When he returned, the mixture had frozen and he ate it.
The fortune cookie was invented in America. The first person in the U.S. reported to serve fortune cookies is Makoto Hagiwara from San Francisco. The first recorded use of serving fortune cookies was dated in the early 1890s.
The Aztecs invented popcorn. Originally, they used this as an ornament and was used in headdresses. This ornament would be used as a way to praise their God Tlaloc, the God of maize and fertility.
French fries were invented in Belgium. Historians claimed that the first instances of potatoes being cut and fried began in the late 1600s. Street vendors would often sell this before the outbreak of the French Revolution.
People used bread as an eraser before. Before Edward Naime invented the eraser in 1770, people used rolled-up pieces of white bread to erase things.
The inventor of the television banned TV from his home. When Philo Farnsworth invented the television in 1927, he intended for it to be a learning instrument that could end wars. However, once TV was commercialized, he came to regret his invention. As a result, he did not allow his household to watch television. One of the ironic yet interesting facts.
The Chinese invented paper currency. During the Tang Dynasty which ruled between 618 and 907, China invented paper money. There used to be a warning written right on the bills that all counterfeiters would be decapitated.
People used to dream in black and white. The world may not be black and white now, but there was a time when even dreams were. Before colour TV was invented, 75% of people said their dreams were in black and white. However, only 12% do now.
There’s a high-voltage ejector bed that launches you out of sleep. In 2015, Colin Furze invented a creative alarm that would throw you out of bed as an alarm.
Harrod’s was the first place to sell toilet paper. Toilet “wipes” were invented in London in 1857. During this time, toilet paper was only sold in the men’s department at Harrod’s.
Corn Flakes were invented to prevent masturbation. Dr. John Harvey Kellogg believed that sex was a sin (he didn’t even sleep with his wife). He invented cornflakes because he believed that foods such as meat increased sexual desire, while cereal and nuts fought against it.
Chopsticks were initially created for cooking, not as an eating utensil. In Ancient China, chopsticks were invented and used for cooking. Because of their length, they were perfect for reaching into pots of hot water or oil.
High heels were invented for men. Though heels are seen as symbols of femininity nowadays, high heels were initially designed for men’s use in the late 16th century. During this time, heels were seen as masculine and a great height booster.
Japan invented a tomato robot for runners. The TOMATAN is a backpack robot that feeds you tomatoes. Invented in 2015 by Kagome, the robot was created for runners to have nutrition on the go. Useless facts, or not-so-useless?
Play-Doh was invented as a wallpaper cleaner. Play-Doh was initially invented to remove soot and dirt from wallpaper. Antique restorers still use it for refurbishing antique pieces. However, Play-Doh was officially recognised as a toy in 1954.
The Super Soaker was designed and invented by a NASA engineer. Lonnie Johnson used the royalties from his 1989 invention to fund research on solar power.
The first webcam was invented to monitor a coffee pot. In 1993, researchers at Cambridge’s computer science department got tired of walking up to an empty coffee machine. So, they wired up a system that would stream images to the Trojan Room that housed the coffee pot.
The remote control was invented earlier than the television. 30 years before the first digital television, Nikola Tesla invented a “teleautomaton” that could control certain devices at a distance through radio waves. His first remote-controlled device was a remote-controlled boat in 1898. Since then, people adapted the wired remote for television. However, due to injuries, they developed it further to be a wireless remote.
Sliced bread was invented a year after the invention of TV.
Bubble wrap was originally invented to be a kind of plastic wallpaper.
Diet Coke was only invented in 1982.
What do bulletproof vests, fire escapes, windshield wipers and laser printers all have in common? Ans. – All invented by women. The only common thing is that all are invented by women.
The electric chair was invented by a dentist. Southwick. A steam-boat engineer, inventor and dentist from Buffalo, New York was credited for inventing the electric chair as a method of legal execution.
The cigarette lighter was invented before the match. In the 16th century, lighters were nothing more than just converted pistols. It was not until 1823, that a German chemist named Johann Wolfgang Doebereiner is credited as the first person to invent a lighter.
An 11-year-old accidentally invented ice pops. In 1905, young Frank Epperson left water and soda powder outside overnight with a wooden stirrer in the cup. When he discovered the mixture had frozen, the “Epsicle” was born.
The electric chair was invented by a dentist. Alfred Porter Southwick was a dentist and steamboat engineer who is credited with inventing the electric chair as a method of legal execution.
The first alarm clock could only ring at 4 a.m. The first American alarm clock was invented by Levi Hutchins in 1787. It took 60 years for French inventor Antoine Redier to patent an adjustable one!
The inventor of the Frisbee became one after he died. After Walter Morrison died and was cremated in 2010, his family turned him into the very toy he invented in 1955. It was known as the Pluto Platter before Wham-O renamed it the Frisbee.
In 1905, an 11-year-old boy invented ice pops. 11-year-old Frank Epperson left out a wooden stirrer in a cup of water and soda pop overnight. When he discovered it was frozen the next morning, he also discovered the very first ice pop.
An 11-year-old boy accidentally invented the ice pop in 1905 when he left soda powder and water outside overnight.
German chocolate cake is not from Germany. German is the last name of the man who invented a kind of baking chocolate (Sam German).
Hedy Lamar was a famous Hollywood film actress who also invented what became modern-day Wi-Fi.
Hawaiian pizza was invented in Canada.
The man who invented pop-up advertisements deeply regrets it and says he’s very sorry. In 1997 Ethan Zuckerman wrote the code for the first pop-up and added it to a website. This, he believes, was the Internet’s equivalent of the original sin. While he understands that many websites and services on the Internet wouldn’t function without getting funding from advertisements, he believes that it’s high time to find an alternative that doesn’t involve an invasion of our privacy.
The Internet has its very own patron saint. St. Isidore of Seville may not seem at first to be the best patron saint of the Internet, considering he lived back in the 7th Century. While he certainly lived well before the Internet was invented, he shared many values with it. He tried to record all the knowledge he could get his hands on during his life, which isn’t that far from what the Internet is – a great big collection of knowledge!
J. R. R. Tolkien invented the languages of Middle Earth before he even thought of writing stories in the fictional universe. Tolkien was without a doubt a natural polyglot, learning more than 35 languages throughout his life. When he was a teenager, he invented his first language, which would inspire the 20 or so languages he ultimately created for Middle Earth. Once he began inventing the languages, he realized that he needed people to speak them, and it was only from this point that he thought to write The Lord of the Rings and his other works.
Charles Darwin invented the modern office chair when he added wheels to his chair, so he could move around his office more easily.
An 11-year-old accidentally invented popsicles in 1905.
The Internet was invented in a beer garden.
Chainsaws were initially invented for childbirth.
The Earl of Sandwich, John Montagu, who lived in the 1700s, reportedly invented the sandwich so he wouldn’t have to leave his gambling table to eat.
In 1884, William Henry Fruen invented the Automatic Liquid-Drawing Device” or the first vending machine.
This is the first website ever. In 1989, British scientist Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web and published the first website ever which can be found here. Tim worked for CERN at the time. He hosted the first website on his NeXT Computer to allow scientists and universities to share information with ease. This archaic website described the World Wide Web (W3) project itself and was the start of the Internet Era as we know it today.
The first computer mouse wasn’t made from plastic. Back in 1964, Doug Engelbart invented the first-ever computer mouse! Back then, it was made out of wood. It was rectangular and featured a little button on the top right. He called it a mouse because the cord coming out of the back reminded him of the tiny rodents.
The first alarm clock could only ring at one time. One time! The first mechanical alarm clock that could only ring at 4 a.m. was invented by Levi Hutchins in 1787. It wasn’t until 1876 that a wind-up alarm clock was made that could be set for any time.
The first product scanned was a packet of chewing gum in 1974. Norman Joseph Woodland invented the barcode and received a patent in October 1952. It wasn’t until 22 years later when he was employed by IBM, that the barcode was developed to be used for product labeling. Known as the Universal Product Code (UPC), a system that is still used today.
DIY country. In 1820 Gregor MacGregor invented the fictitious country of Poyais in South America. He issued bank notes and sold land for 4 shillings an acre.
Accidental invention. The microwave oven, invented in 1945, came about accidentally, after engineer Percy Spencer found radio waves emitted by a radar set he was working on melted a chocolate bar.
Travelling back in time is possible—theoretically, at least. According to Einstein’s theory, you could travel back in time by moving faster than the speed of light, as long as you could somehow have infinite mass. Since that probably won’t work, you could create “wormholes” between two points in space-time. (This would also be tough since humanity still hasn’t invented the technology to build a wormhole.) Or you could try bending space-time by plucking some “cosmic strings.” Two of these theoretical strings, which are thin streams of pure energy that are moving in opposite directions at very near the speed of light, could theoretically warp space-time enough to create a closed time-like curve—also known as a time machine.
The World Wide Web (WWW) was invented in England: The World Wide Web came to be in 1989 when it was discovered by Tim Berners-Lee, an English scientist. Berners-Lee began the project whilst working at CERN, The European Organisation for Nuclear Research, and its main use was for scientists to share information and institutes across the globe. The WWW was used privately until 1993 when CERN released it to the public. It’s flourished since then, and you’re using it to view this blog right now!
Sparkling wine was invented in England: It’s widely thought that Dom Perignon, a French monk, invented sparkling wine in the form of champagne in 1697. The BBC states that this isn’t entirely true and that an English scientist discovered and documented how to add fizz to sparkling wine 30 years prior. The scientist in question was Christopher Merrett, who lived in the Cotswolds. If you ever happen to be in the area, you can head to the village of Winchcombe and uncover a plaque dedicated to Merrett and his wine documentation on Mill Lane. Additionally, in the 17th century Sir Kenelm Digby, an English diplomat, was known to make the most ‘superior’ wine bottles of the time, with millions of his sturdy bottles being shipped throughout Europe each year.