Harden Elkington
As the decade of the 1920s arrived, America was in the midst of an economic boom. With this prosperity came a yearning for convenience and more leisure time.
As a result, many inventions from the 1920s were concerned with entertainment and making housekeeping easier. These devices not only affected but also defined the 1970s as we know it today.
Here are the top inventions of the 1920s that changed human life.
Telephone
If you’re using a mobile phone right now, then you’ve paid a lot of money for what is basically a 19th century technology. Mobile phones have improved in terms of functions, quality and battery life.
But, the actual technology hasn’t changed that much from its first public exhibition in 1876 when it was demonstrated as an enhancement to the telegraph system by Alexander Graham Bell at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition.
The telephone was invented in 1876 but saw its biggest advances during the 1920s. This invention greatly improved communication between people who were not in the same place.
The first transatlantic telephone call was made in 1927 between New York and London.
Check the full history of How was the telephone invented.
Radio
The radio was invented in the late 1800s but became hugely popular in the 1920s. In 1927, a man named JR Thorpe was hired to turn a basement into a radio station in Kansas City.
This is thought to be one of the first stations to play American music. The 1930s saw a lot of technological advancements which resulted in new, more powerful AM stations.
The end of this decade also saw a boom in FM stations and an increase in advertising sales.
This invention allowed people to listen to music and news from around the world without having to leave their homes. In 1922, KDKA in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania became the first radio station to broadcast regular programming.
You can read the full history of the invention of the radio.
Television
The creation of the television has been accredited to many different people at different times. Many consider it to be the most influential invention of the twentieth century.
The television was invented in 1902 but did not become widely available until the 1920s.
This invention allowed people to see images and hear sounds from far away. The first public demonstration of television was given by Scottish inventor John Logie Baird in 1926.
Read more the full history of how was television invented.
Refrigerator
The refrigerator was invented in the early 1800s but became widely available in the 1920s. It wasn’t until the 1950s that household refrigerators became widespread.
Since then, it has been hard to avoid them. They’re a great convenience and can help to keep your food fresh longer. This invention allowed people to keep food fresh for longer periods of time.
The first commercial electric refrigerator was introduced by General Electric in 1927.
Check the full history of how was the refrigerator invented.
Washing Machine
Washers and dryers are no longer luxury items, they can be found in the households of nearly everyone with a regular income.
Properties with these appliances increased by 65% between 1999 and 2011 and are expected to continue growing into the future.
Their existence has become fundamental in our lives because they allow us to do chores more easily and quickly than if we were doing them using conventional methods.
The first washing machine was invented in the early 1800s but did not become widely available until the 1920s. This invention allowed people to wash clothes more easily and quickly than if they were doing it by hand.
The first electric washing machine was introduced by Whirlpool in 1927.
Vacuum Cleaner
After inventing the first vacuum cleaner in 1901, James Spangler had a hard time selling his idea to both consumers and retailers.
He modified the machine to make it easier for people to use and, following several product demonstrations at in-home sales meetings, decided to sell his vacuum cleaning machines door-to-door.
The vacuum cleaner was invented in the early 1900s but became widely available in the 1920s. This invention allowed people to clean carpets and floors more easily. The first portable vacuum cleaner was introduced by Hoover in 1922.
Camera
The camera was invented in the early 1800s but became widely available in the 1920s. WHAT? That’s right, you read it correctly.
Up until the 1920s, a camera was not a commodity many people could afford.
The first person to ever capture a real image using a camera was Joseph Nicéphore Niépce who, in 1826, created the world’s first photograph, known as “View from the Window at Le Gras.”
This was made possible through his invention of heliography. This invention allowed people to take photographs and make movies. The first 35mm movie camera was introduced by Eastman Kodak in 1923.
View the full history of how camera invented.
Airplane
The history of the airplane goes back as far as the early 1900s when Otto Lilienthal kicked off kite and winged flight. It wasn’t until the 1910s that powered flight was achieved by the Wright brothers, leading to very rapid growth in the 1920s.
The first commercial flights were taking place just a few years later in the late 1920s. By the end of World War II, air travel had become widely used.
This invention allowed people to travel long distances quickly. The first commercial airline was established by William Boeing in 1927.
You can read the full history of how airplane invented.
The takeaway
These are just a few of the many inventions that came out of the 1920s. These inventions changed human life by making communication and transportation easier and by providing new forms of entertainment.
What other inventions do you think had the biggest impact on human life? Let us know in the comments!
If you are looking for more interesting histories, You can check our most influential inventions in history That Changed The World
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