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See Also
See Again
© Shutterstock
0 / 30 Fotos
The first wearable glasses appeared in Italy
- The earliest known example of wearable eyeglasses dates back to 13th-century Italy. A man named Salvino degli Armati is credited for the invention.
© Shutterstock
1 / 30 Fotos
During the Renaissance, glasses were a symbol of intelligence
- Scholars during the Renaissance were revered by society. Probably due to excessive reading, many of them wore glasses due to eyesight problems, which is why people associated glasses with intelligence and wealth.
© Shutterstock
2 / 30 Fotos
Glasses were designed to be manually held in place
- Holding glasses by hand, or leaving them on the nose without temples or earpieces for support, was a daily routine in the 16th century.
© Shutterstock
3 / 30 Fotos
Further development
- Around the late 1700s, Spanish eyewear manufacturers found a solution to glasses slipping down the nose. They used to fix ribbons to the lenses, looping them around the ears to ensure stability. Those ribbons inspired the modern-day temple arms.
© Getty Images
4 / 30 Fotos
Benjamin Franklin also contributed to the development of glasses
- Many don't know this, but one of the Founding Fathers of the US, Benjamin Franklin, invented the bifocal lens. It helped people with both myopia (nearsightedness) and hypertropia (misalignment of the eyes) see using only one pair of glasses.
© Getty Images
5 / 30 Fotos
Glasses for everyone
- Before the 19th century, glasses were still handmade and hardly accessible to everyone. Fortunately, the Industrial Revolution changed that with the massive manufacture of frames, lenses, and components. It finally allowed people from all social classes to have access to proper eyewear.
© Shutterstock
6 / 30 Fotos
The "Martin’s Margins" are named after the inventor
- Named after its inventor, Benjamin Martin, these 18th-century glasses had dark rims meant to improve user vision, as well as protect them from excessive light. The frames were in silver and the lenses were round.
© Shutterstock
7 / 30 Fotos
An astronomer's invention
- George Airy, a famous British astronomer, introduced the first astigmatism correction lenses in 1825.
© Getty Images
8 / 30 Fotos
The first anti-glare glasses with polarization
- In the 1920s, Edwin Land, inventor of the instant photography method and co-founder of the Polaroid Corporation, created the first anti-glare glasses with polarization.
© Getty Images
9 / 30 Fotos
Sunglasses were invented in the 12th century
- Previously believed to have been invented in the 20th century, these accessories actually came into existence in 12th-century China. Their purpose was to obscure judges' eyes while they were in court listening to cases.
© Getty Images
10 / 30 Fotos
Mass production of sunglasses
- In 1929, the mass production of affordable sunglasses began after American brand Foster Grant started selling them on Atlantic City beaches.
© Getty Images
11 / 30 Fotos
Tinted sunglasses were designed for medical conditions
- Tinted sunglasses were originally developed to help people who were too sensitive to light. But because they were so effective at reducing glare, manufacturers in the 1900s started to ramp up production and sell them to the general public.
© Getty Images
12 / 30 Fotos
Chameleons
- Photochromic glasses, aka chameleons, were invented in the '60s in France. The lenses have the ability to change shades of darkness according to the light intensity of the environment.
© Shutterstock
13 / 30 Fotos
"Spectacles" is a word derived from Latin
- Around the 18th century, people started calling glasses "spectacles." The word is a derivative of spectare, which is Latin for "to look at" or "to observe."
© Shutterstock
14 / 30 Fotos
Approximately four billion people wear glasses
- According to statistics from the Vision Council of America, about 75% of the adult population worldwide uses vision correction products, and 64% of them wear glasses.
© Shutterstock
15 / 30 Fotos
Developed economies are adversely affected by myopia
- Researchers have found that overreliance and addiction to smartphones, tablets, and personal computers have significantly contributed to an increase of myopia, i.e. nearsightedness.
© Shutterstock
16 / 30 Fotos
Glasses can improve vision permanently
- While these cases are rare, it can happen if the individual has amblyopia or strabismus. Amblyopia is commonly known as lazy eye, and strabismus is when one is crossed eyed.
© Shutterstock
17 / 30 Fotos
Not all lenses are made of glass
- Contrary to popular belief, glass lenses aren’t the best lenses. They're weighty, costly, and could easily break or shatter.
© Shutterstock
18 / 30 Fotos
Plastic lenses were introduced in the '80s
- Thanks to technological advances, lenses became lighter and thinner. Plastic lenses are also less breakable, and have various coatings added in layers to reduce UV light and glare.
© Shutterstock
19 / 30 Fotos
There’s more than one type of glasses
- There are nine different types of glasses with varied functions. The ones that we're used to seeing people wear are the monovision lens glasses (single vision), prisms glasses, progressives, bifocals, toric glasses, and trifocals. Then there are sunglasses, safety glasses, and the digital blue-light blocking glasses.
© Shutterstock
20 / 30 Fotos
Wearing a different prescription for a long time can damage your eyes
- Some people believe that wearing somebody else’s glasses for a couple of minutes will permanently damage an individual’s eyes. In reality, the only thing you'll experience are headaches caused by eye strain or eye fatigue. However, if you wear them for an extended period, then that's a different story.
© Shutterstock
21 / 30 Fotos
Most people can't see with their peripheral vision when they're wearing glasses
- Peripheral vision is what you see in your surroundings that aren't directly in front of you. When wearing glasses, most of that peripheral vision is blocked because the lenses are in the way.
© Shutterstock
22 / 30 Fotos
The power of an eyeglass is measured in diopters
- How strong or weak your glasses are will be evaluated using the diopter. This measurement is vital in determining the lens’ magnification level for the individual’s requirements.
© Shutterstock
23 / 30 Fotos
It takes a week to adjust to your new glasses
- If you've just gotten a new pair of glasses, don't be surprised if your eyes don't adjust right away. During that time, you might experience some headaches and eye fatigue.
© Shutterstock
24 / 30 Fotos
A signature look
- Rounded glasses with thin frames became popular in the '60s thanks to John Lennon, whose signature look always included them.
© Getty Images
25 / 30 Fotos
Bicycle glasses
- However, before the peak of their global popularity, rounded glasses were considered to be bicycle glasses in the USSR.
© Shutterstock
26 / 30 Fotos
Safety glasses
- Designed to protect the eyes of people working in environments that can permanently blind them, safety glasses are also an important piece of eyewear.
© Shutterstock
27 / 30 Fotos
Aviator sunglasses
- Aviators were originally designed in the '30s to protect the eyes of US military pilots. After the release of 'Top Gun' (1986), the style became quite popular among the masses.
© Getty Images
28 / 30 Fotos
Glasses are important
- Glasses are meant to help you see clearly. Trying to avoid wearing them is definitely not advisable, as you might develop migraines. Sources: (Optics Mag) (Designer Optics) See also: Famous glasses in movie history
© Shutterstock
29 / 30 Fotos
© Shutterstock
0 / 30 Fotos
The first wearable glasses appeared in Italy
- The earliest known example of wearable eyeglasses dates back to 13th-century Italy. A man named Salvino degli Armati is credited for the invention.
© Shutterstock
1 / 30 Fotos
During the Renaissance, glasses were a symbol of intelligence
- Scholars during the Renaissance were revered by society. Probably due to excessive reading, many of them wore glasses due to eyesight problems, which is why people associated glasses with intelligence and wealth.
© Shutterstock
2 / 30 Fotos
Glasses were designed to be manually held in place
- Holding glasses by hand, or leaving them on the nose without temples or earpieces for support, was a daily routine in the 16th century.
© Shutterstock
3 / 30 Fotos
Further development
- Around the late 1700s, Spanish eyewear manufacturers found a solution to glasses slipping down the nose. They used to fix ribbons to the lenses, looping them around the ears to ensure stability. Those ribbons inspired the modern-day temple arms.
© Getty Images
4 / 30 Fotos
Benjamin Franklin also contributed to the development of glasses
- Many don't know this, but one of the Founding Fathers of the US, Benjamin Franklin, invented the bifocal lens. It helped people with both myopia (nearsightedness) and hypertropia (misalignment of the eyes) see using only one pair of glasses.
© Getty Images
5 / 30 Fotos
Glasses for everyone
- Before the 19th century, glasses were still handmade and hardly accessible to everyone. Fortunately, the Industrial Revolution changed that with the massive manufacture of frames, lenses, and components. It finally allowed people from all social classes to have access to proper eyewear.
© Shutterstock
6 / 30 Fotos
The "Martin’s Margins" are named after the inventor
- Named after its inventor, Benjamin Martin, these 18th-century glasses had dark rims meant to improve user vision, as well as protect them from excessive light. The frames were in silver and the lenses were round.
© Shutterstock
7 / 30 Fotos
An astronomer's invention
- George Airy, a famous British astronomer, introduced the first astigmatism correction lenses in 1825.
© Getty Images
8 / 30 Fotos
The first anti-glare glasses with polarization
- In the 1920s, Edwin Land, inventor of the instant photography method and co-founder of the Polaroid Corporation, created the first anti-glare glasses with polarization.
© Getty Images
9 / 30 Fotos
Sunglasses were invented in the 12th century
- Previously believed to have been invented in the 20th century, these accessories actually came into existence in 12th-century China. Their purpose was to obscure judges' eyes while they were in court listening to cases.
© Getty Images
10 / 30 Fotos
Mass production of sunglasses
- In 1929, the mass production of affordable sunglasses began after American brand Foster Grant started selling them on Atlantic City beaches.
© Getty Images
11 / 30 Fotos
Tinted sunglasses were designed for medical conditions
- Tinted sunglasses were originally developed to help people who were too sensitive to light. But because they were so effective at reducing glare, manufacturers in the 1900s started to ramp up production and sell them to the general public.
© Getty Images
12 / 30 Fotos
Chameleons
- Photochromic glasses, aka chameleons, were invented in the '60s in France. The lenses have the ability to change shades of darkness according to the light intensity of the environment.
© Shutterstock
13 / 30 Fotos
"Spectacles" is a word derived from Latin
- Around the 18th century, people started calling glasses "spectacles." The word is a derivative of spectare, which is Latin for "to look at" or "to observe."
© Shutterstock
14 / 30 Fotos
Approximately four billion people wear glasses
- According to statistics from the Vision Council of America, about 75% of the adult population worldwide uses vision correction products, and 64% of them wear glasses.
© Shutterstock
15 / 30 Fotos
Developed economies are adversely affected by myopia
- Researchers have found that overreliance and addiction to smartphones, tablets, and personal computers have significantly contributed to an increase of myopia, i.e. nearsightedness.
© Shutterstock
16 / 30 Fotos
Glasses can improve vision permanently
- While these cases are rare, it can happen if the individual has amblyopia or strabismus. Amblyopia is commonly known as lazy eye, and strabismus is when one is crossed eyed.
© Shutterstock
17 / 30 Fotos
Not all lenses are made of glass
- Contrary to popular belief, glass lenses aren’t the best lenses. They're weighty, costly, and could easily break or shatter.
© Shutterstock
18 / 30 Fotos
Plastic lenses were introduced in the '80s
- Thanks to technological advances, lenses became lighter and thinner. Plastic lenses are also less breakable, and have various coatings added in layers to reduce UV light and glare.
© Shutterstock
19 / 30 Fotos
There’s more than one type of glasses
- There are nine different types of glasses with varied functions. The ones that we're used to seeing people wear are the monovision lens glasses (single vision), prisms glasses, progressives, bifocals, toric glasses, and trifocals. Then there are sunglasses, safety glasses, and the digital blue-light blocking glasses.
© Shutterstock
20 / 30 Fotos
Wearing a different prescription for a long time can damage your eyes
- Some people believe that wearing somebody else’s glasses for a couple of minutes will permanently damage an individual’s eyes. In reality, the only thing you'll experience are headaches caused by eye strain or eye fatigue. However, if you wear them for an extended period, then that's a different story.
© Shutterstock
21 / 30 Fotos
Most people can't see with their peripheral vision when they're wearing glasses
- Peripheral vision is what you see in your surroundings that aren't directly in front of you. When wearing glasses, most of that peripheral vision is blocked because the lenses are in the way.
© Shutterstock
22 / 30 Fotos
The power of an eyeglass is measured in diopters
- How strong or weak your glasses are will be evaluated using the diopter. This measurement is vital in determining the lens’ magnification level for the individual’s requirements.
© Shutterstock
23 / 30 Fotos
It takes a week to adjust to your new glasses
- If you've just gotten a new pair of glasses, don't be surprised if your eyes don't adjust right away. During that time, you might experience some headaches and eye fatigue.
© Shutterstock
24 / 30 Fotos
A signature look
- Rounded glasses with thin frames became popular in the '60s thanks to John Lennon, whose signature look always included them.
© Getty Images
25 / 30 Fotos
Bicycle glasses
- However, before the peak of their global popularity, rounded glasses were considered to be bicycle glasses in the USSR.
© Shutterstock
26 / 30 Fotos
Safety glasses
- Designed to protect the eyes of people working in environments that can permanently blind them, safety glasses are also an important piece of eyewear.
© Shutterstock
27 / 30 Fotos
Aviator sunglasses
- Aviators were originally designed in the '30s to protect the eyes of US military pilots. After the release of 'Top Gun' (1986), the style became quite popular among the masses.
© Getty Images
28 / 30 Fotos
Glasses are important
- Glasses are meant to help you see clearly. Trying to avoid wearing them is definitely not advisable, as you might develop migraines. Sources: (Optics Mag) (Designer Optics) See also: Famous glasses in movie history
© Shutterstock
29 / 30 Fotos
Interesting facts about glasses you had no idea about
You won't believe how old sunglasses actually are!
© Shutterstock
People wear glasses for several reasons. Some wear them to correct their vision, others to protect their sensitive eyes. There are even people who wear them just to look cool. And while all those reasons are legitimate, what do you actually know about glasses?
You might know that they help people see clearly, but what about the fact that wearable eyewear dates back to 13th-century Italy? Or that most people can't see anything with their peripheral vision when they're wearing glasses?
For more curious facts about eyewear, click through the following gallery.
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