With the invention of electricity the biggest breakthrough in home and office innovations was from 1906 to 1955. During this period, the introduction of household appliances and office machines in America, ranging from vacuum cleaners, electric ranges, food processors, electric typewriters, made the home and office life in general much easier with the use of electricity.
In 1939 Popular Mechanics, a magazine that helped people master the modern world, giving them technology and information on the newest and the latest breakthroughs in science and machines, predicted the home of the future. With the addition of the electric power supply it predicted televisions, lighting control, air conditioning and many of the things in our home and office that we take for granted using today’s technology.
The electric toaster wasn’t invented until 1909. It only toasted the bread on one side and you had to turn the bread over halfway through to toast the other side.
The home refrigerator wasn’t invented until 1913, but it was several years before it became a common household appliance. Until then, to keep foods cold, the household had an icebox. The iceman came around and delivered a block of ice or you went to the icehouse and picked-up a block of ice for the icebox.
Around 1900 the first electric washing machine was invented by a Ford Motor Company employee but was not introduced for the household market until 1947. It took another 15 years for the electric clothes dryer to be introduced.
1924 the dishwasher that resembled the modern models of today was created.
The overhead garage door was put into use in 1921, but you had to lift it by hand. The electric garage door opener that we know of today was invented in 1926. Now you can open your garage door with the push of a button from down the street.
As electricity technology improved in the 1920’s things like the electric range and oven became more common. The self clean oven was first introduced by Thermador in 1963. Now you can clean your oven with the push of a button.
1940’s, mainly after World War II, the in home TV started to become more prevalent. Television stations and networks in most parts of the world upgraded from black-and-white to color transmission between the 1960s and the 1980s.
The TV remote control didn’t come on the scene until 1956 and the light dimmer switch on your overhead lights for home use became common in 1959. Now you can use your voice to turn on the TV, change channels and turn on the lights.
The microwave oven was on the market in 1947, but it was not until 1967 that it caught on in the American household.
In 1977 the cordless phone was patented and in 1993 the first internet was free for everyone to use.
You can check the security of your home, turn on or off the lights in your living room, and many other tasks from your cell phone.
Now we have driverless cars, and so many modern electric and high tech gadgets. The list is endless.
Won’t it be interesting to see what the technology of the future brings.