From humble beginnings to beauty industry pioneer and millionaire
Though companies such as Rolex started to appear at the turn of the century, the popularity of the wristwatch only really started to grow after World War I. Today, the wristwatch is worn by billions of people worldwide.
The USDA and the Florida Citrus Commission developed this product in 1943, specifically to be sent to US soldiers overseas.
The use of drones by the military dates back to World War II. More sophisticated machines were developed over the years, and it was not until fairly recently that drones started to be operated by civilians, in both a professional and recreational capacity.
An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is essentially an aircraft without any humans on board, including a pilot. These are usually controlled remotely and are also known as a remotely-piloted aircraft (RPA), better known as the drone.
Remember this gooey material? Well, this was actually invented in 1943 when the US was looking for a new source of rubber, after losing its supply following the Japanese invasion of Malaysia.
Johnson & Johnson Co. were on the quest for a tape that could be strong enough for basically anything during World War II. In 1942, they developed just that!
This stretchy and bouncy material, however, was not quite applicable for the military, so it was eventually commercialized as a toy in 1950.
Back in 1946, you wouldn't find this common kitchen appliance anywhere, but you would find the original one, called Radarange. It was, however, as large as a fridge!
They realized its potential a few years later and started to sell it to the public in 1958. Super glue did eventually prove to be useful for the military: it was used during the Vietnam War as a spray to quickly seal open wounds.
Can you imagine your life without the superpowers of super glue? The Eastman Kodak company created it while trying to come up with a product to use on plastic rifle sights.
The father of the modern microwave is American engineer Percy Spencer, who was working on radar technology after World War II. It turned out that microwaves from a radar set could emit heat, so he enclosed them inside a metal box, and the rest is history!
Due to its waterproof properties, it was originally called “duck tape.” It was then used a lot to seal ductwork, hence the commercial name.
In 1941 it was patented and proved to be a success. So much so that it was nicknamed “bug bomb” by soldiers! The aerosol can was then refined over the years and it's still used to this day.
The quintessential 4-wheel drive vehicle made by American Bantam Car Company was originally called General Purpose, or G.P., hence the name Jeep. The first model was manufactured in 1940.
As the name indicates, this classic sunglasses model was original developed for US military pilots.
Surplus Jeeps were sold to the public after the war and proved to be a success. Shortly after, manufacturing resumed and Jeep was established in the automotive industry as a reliable rugged vehicle.
These were eventually commercialized to the public in 1937 as the brand Ray Ban (as in banning the sunrays). The model remains popular to this day.
These useful containers made of pressed steel were actually developed by the Germans in the 1930s for military use.
It goes without saying that the t-shirt became a fashion staple ever since.
The basic, plain white t-shirt was also developed for military purposes. Cotton undershirts were first worn by the US Navy in the early 20th century.
Cellucotton was very absorbent, so Red Cross nurses began to use it during menstruation. After the war, they started to be sold commercially, and the rest is history.
Both Nazi Germany and the Allies used them during World War II, and they remained popular among civilians as robust liquid containers.
A cotton shortage during World War II led Kimberly-Clark Co. to invent a new absorbing material as an alternative. After all, they needed bandages for war, so they developed a product made from wood pulp, called cellucotton.
These auto-injecting syringes give the user a shot of epinephrine in case of an allergic reaction. You can imagine how useful these could be in case of chemical warfare.
But it was not 1946 that Minute Maid began selling it commercially. Today, orange juice is one of the most popular fruit juices in the world.
Where would we be without bug repellent, right? Probably eaten away by mosquitoes! The aerosol version was developed during World War II, specifically for soldiers stationed in the South Pacific.
The history of this portable timepiece actually goes back to the 16th century. But it was not until the end of the 19th century that wristwatches started to be used by the military.
The process of freeze drying was developed and used during World War II to preserve medical supplies. It's still in use to this day.
Sources: (Military.com) (Mental Floss) (The Clever)
EpiPen is still in use to this day, and has saved countless lives over the years.
Some items are so familiar that we take them for granted and never really question their origins. It is true that things such as GPS or even the predecessor of the internet, ARPANET, are known to have been originally developed for military purposes. But how about things such as sanitary pads?
Indeed, there are many everyday items we use that were first created for military use. Click through the following gallery to discover what they are.
Everyday items originally developed for the military
Do you use any of these?
LIFESTYLE Inventions
Some items are so familiar that we take them for granted and never really question their origins. It is true that things such as GPS or even the predecessor of the internet, ARPANET, are known to have been originally developed for military purposes. But how about things such as sanitary pads?
Indeed, there are many everyday items we use that were first created for military use. Click through the following gallery to discover what they are.