Untitled Document
 Every
day, we use many things from the TV remote control to the microwave. They make our
lives very convenient. But have you
ever wondered where all of these things that we use every day came
from? This week, let's take a look at some of the
most interesting inventions!
TV Remote Control
Remote control technology has been around
since the early 1900s. But
the TV remote control did not make its first appearance until 1950. The first TV
remote control called "Lazy Bone" was created by Zenith
Radio Corporation in 1950. Lazy Bone could turn the TV on and off.
It could also change channels. During the last 50 years, many improvements have been made
to this invention.
Microwave
Surprisingly, the microwave
was invented by accident. In 1946, an
American inventor Dr. Percy LeBaron
Spencer was touring one of his laboratories
when he stopped in front of a magnetron (vacuum tubes that produce microwave radiation). While standing
in front of this machine, he found that a candy bar in his pocket
had melted. Next, he tested popcorn
kernels that popped if placed
next to the machine. Soon, he discovered that these microwaves
could cook and heat food much quicker than
ovens and stoves that use heat.
 Crayons
Crayons were invented in 1903 by two men - Edwin Binney and Harold
Smith. They were cousins and owned a paint company together
in New York City. These crayons were made by combining wax with different
chemicals that make colors.
In 1903, Binney and Smith released the first box of
eight "Crayola Crayons." These new crayons were a huge success!
Bicycle
In 1791, a French man named Comte Mede de Sivrac made an early version
of the bicycle. It was called the Celerifere. It was a scooter with
a high seat attached to the top. But
the Celerifere did not have any pedals. In 1839, a Scottish
blacksmith named Kirkpatrick
Macmillan added pedals to the invention.
Many people thought he was crazy. But this innovation made the bicycle
popular. Today, the bicycle
became an important form of transportation thanks to Mr. Macmillan's
idea! |
|
|
|
