The 1940s stands among the most important decades of the last century. Not only did war break out, but it was also followed by technological advancements that would transform the lives of the people. What follows is a list of some of the most amazing inventions that came from the 1940s.
Modern Television
Peter Goldmark demonstrated the very first modern television in 1940. The televisions were bulky, to say the least, and flickered almost constantly. By the ’50s the color television had made its way to the homes of the families living in the West.
Aerosol Spray Can
Can you imagine your life without the aerosol can? Exactly! The aerosol was among the inventions made by the Department of Agriculture researchers William Sullivan and Lyle Goodhue. It was actually a product of WWII and was developed to kill bugs that were carrying malaria.
The Jeep
The very first prototype of the jeep was designed within eighteen hours only by Karl Probst for the military. The military loved the design – the year was 1940.
The Z3
Konrad Zuse created Z3 as part of a government project and was a natural evolution to the limited Z1. Z3 was the very first programmable, completely automatic digital computer. It carried out operations at a clock frequency of about 4-5 Hz.
Atomic Bomb
J. Robert Oppenheimer, the theoretical physicist who created the atom bomb, said, ‘I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds’, after witnessing the test of his atomic bomb. The atomic bomb changed the course of WWII and later the Cold War.
The Kidney Dialysis Machine
Willem Johan Pim Kolff was able to accomplish quite a lot and became a pioneer in the field of hemodialysis and the unique field of artificial organs. During WWII, he was able to make significant discoveries pertinent to the kidney dialysis.
The Aqualung
Jacques Cousteau is known as one of the bravest thinkers and inventors because of his amazing inventions. Along with Emile Gagnan, he was able to develop the modern demand regulator and an enhanced diving suit that was dubbed as the Aqua-Lung in 1943.
Mobile Phones
The first mobile phones were introduced back in 1947. However, the very first commercial viable phone didn’t make it to the market until 1983. However, in 1947, T&T did propose that the FCC allocate a huge number of radio-spectrum frequencies that would allow for telephone service to become possible.
Velcro
Velcro was created by a mountaineer and inventor George de Mestral. The inspiration for one of his most well-known inventions came from the burrs that he used to attach to his dog when going out for a walk.
Microwave Oven
You can thank Percy Spence for the microwave. He created it back in 1947. One of the most influential inventions was actually based on radar technology that was developed during the war. The countertop friendly microwave was developed later in 1967.
The Jukebox
The earlier coin-operated jukebox was available back in the 1890s. However, the jukebox, as we all know it appeared in the 1940s.
