Inventions
Find questions about how different mechanisms originated and the people who came up with the ideas and put them into reality.
Asked in Television and Video, Inventions, History of Scotland
Who was the inventor of color television?

People wrongly suggest that Germans or Americans invented Color
Television, since they gave the first color advertised broadcast,
but it was indeed the work of John
Logie Baird. He was a Scottish engineer and inventor of the
world's first working television system in Hastings, England in
1923. He gave a public demonstration of the "Televisor" in
1925.
In 1928, he showed off the color Televisor, using red green and
blue light to generate a full color picture. This was the first
example of color television although it never went into production.
The BBC had committed to broadcasting television and had settled on
the monochrome Televisor system for their launch in 1929. There was
no market for color at the time and the technology of the era made
color television a cumbersome system.
In 1939, he showed color television using a cathode ray tube in
front of which revolved a disc fitted with color filters, a method
taken up by CBS and RCA in the United States. In recent times, the
revolving disc has made a comeback in the shape of DLP projectors
that also use rotating color filters.
On 16 August 1944 he gave the world's first demonstration of a
fully electronic color television display. He used color encoding
systems that have formed the basis for much of the color television
industry ever since.
Commercial color television made it's first appearance in the US
in 1953, a commercial failure withdrawn after a few months and
again in 1955. The second attempt was successful and remained in
use ever since. 1967 was the date that the UK finally introduced
color broadcasts.
In 1941 He patented and demonstrated a system of three
dimensional television at a definition of 600 lines. A full 70
years later, we see 3D television becoming commonly available.
Asked in Inventions, Computer History
Why were computers invented?

Computers were made to do the very tedious computations of
everyday life and business. The first calculators performed
computations in seconds that would take someone using a slide rule
minutes if not hours to do. Calculations for NASA entry and exit
trajectories would take days or even weeks to calculate by hand and
the first mainframe computers would do the calculations in
minutes.
"The Father of Computers" Charles Babbage who invented
the 1st mechanical Computer.. in 1834 he dreamt of designing
mechanical calculating machines. "... I was sitting in the rooms of
the Analytical Society, at Cambridge, my head leaning forward on
the table in a kind of dreamy mood, with a table of logarithms
lying open before me. Another member, coming into the room, and
seeing me half asleep, called out, "Well, Babbage, what are you
dreaming about?" to which I replied "I am thinking that all these
tables" (pointing to the logarithms) "might be calculated by
machinery. "
The British government first financed the project but then later
cut off support. Babbage went on to design his much more general
analytical engine but later returned and produced an improved
design (his "Difference Engine No. 2") between 1834 and 1869.
Meanwhile Ada Lovelace is credited as the "first Computer
programmer" since she was writing programs -that is, manipulating
symbols according to rules-for Babbage's machine. The rest
Followed.
The first programmable electronic digital computer was invented
by Tommy Flowers to help break German "Fish" teletype
ciphers during World War 2. Ten of these were built before the end
of the war, also making it the first computer built in a quantity
larger than one until 1952 when Remington Rand began making the
UNIVAC i.
Asked in Inventions, Football - Soccer, American Football History
Who invented the game called football?

All forms of football including American football, Canadian
football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, Association
football (soccer), Rugby Union and Rugby League football can be
traced back hundreds of years to a ball game known as
"Shrovetide football". The word
"football" is from the English language and from
early medieval times the term "fote-ball" (first
recorded c.1400) was used to describe a 'ball game played
on foot' not necessarily with the foot. Early football
games were not only played by the English but also by other
European peoples groups under different names with localised
innovations. Other forms include Irish "Caid"
meaning 'Ball' the ancestor of Gaelic football, Cornish Hurling
"Hyrl�®an", Welsh Hurling
"Cnapan", "Knattleikr" a Viking
ball game. A game called "La Soule" meaning 'The
Ball' was played in France, "Ba" pronounced
baw meaning 'Ball' played in Scotland and
"Ball play" or "Playing at ball"
or significantly "fote-ball" games played in
England. These medieval ball games are the ones from which all
modern football codes evolved and the Shrovetide ball game referred
to as "fote-ball" is the version from which all
modern football games take their name. These games may have evolved
from a game played by the Romans called
"Harpastum" which itself was an adaptation of an
Ancient Greek game called "Episkyros" or
"Phaininda" which, dating back to at least the 4th
century BC, is the Worlds oldest known ball game that matches the
medieval definition of football. It is worth noting that Harpastum
was later recreated in 16th centaury Italy as
"Calcio". Although there is a strong possibility
the Roman and Greek ball games evolved into Shrovetide football and
other similar ball games played in Europe as yet there are no
verifiable connections. The Ancient Chinese also played a game
called "Cuju" that dates back to the late 3rd
centaury BC which has similarities to Association football.
However, despite attempts by FIFA to infer an historical link
between Cuju and Association Football there are no connections
between Cuju and early ball games played in medieval Europe.
Throughout history, people have played sports which involved
using a ball and hands, feet, or sticks. Each area had its own
rules. so there was no global definition of any sport.
In the 1300s, the king of England, Edward III, banned football,
hockey, and handball. This shows a difference between sports using
the feet, hands and sticks. So comes the argument that football was
traditionally played using the feet and not the hands. However FIFA
acknowledges Association Football (soccer)'s earliest drafts
demonstrate 'handling' (possibly similar to Gaelic/Australian
Rules) was acceptable, and hands appear to be involved in the
earliest lithographic sketches of 'mob football' games such as
Shrove-tide.
None of the modern codes of 'football' seem to have diverged
formally from the various 'mob-footballs' until the 1800s.
In 1863,at Cambridge University, a group of Englishmen formed
the Football Association and invented the modern game of
soccer.
Many other "codes" of football were invented around this time.
Rugby and Australian rules (earliest known draft, Melbourne 1858)
were among the first to establish clear drafted rules. In North
America, rugby and soccer were both played, and a hybrid, American
football, was invented.
All sports using the term football have words placed in front
such as Association (der.- Soccer), Rugby, American or Aussie Rules
(Australian) or Gaelic (Irish) to differentiate them from each
other. Typically they are individually and simply referred to as
'football' within the context in which they are the dominant
code.
Answer
Willie Tidwell invented American football. He was a really good
player in the day. Willie and Walter Camp both made up the rules
for Gridiron. They got it from rugby and football. They took the
hitting and other activities from rugby. Soccer uses the foot, and
Tidwell and Camp both thought it would be good to have goal post
for kicking field goals worth three points.
Answer
There are many possible places and times when American football
might have been created. However, the most commonly accepted answer
is in 1869, when Rutgers and Princeton had the "first" game. Of
course, there had been others played before then, but this game was
the first time that the game had a name. As for who created it,
American football is derived almost directly from rugby, though
there are many people who could be credited with the creation of
many of the rules that are used today.
The word 'football' is from the English language and was
originally spelt as 'foot ball'. When the term 'foot ball' was
first used in medieval England it described 'a ball game played on
foot' known as mob football or Shrovetide football in which more
running with the ball was required than kicking the ball. These
ball games had earlier descriptions such as 'playing at ball' and
there were similar if not identical ball games being played in
other countries at the same time. These games include 'Hurling'
played in Wales & Cornwall and 'La Soule' or 'Choule' played in
the north of France. However, mob football or Shrovetide football
was the first ball game to be specifically referred to as 'foot
ball'. I have created the link 'Shrovetide football' from the BBC
which provides an insight into how the game is played showing
photos of the Up'ards and Down'ards 'mob' playing the game.
These Shrovetide games evolved into other forms of football
notably Rugby football which was said to have been started by a
pupil at Rugby school called William Webb Ellis in 1823. The Rugby
Union Football world cup is called the "Webb Ellis Trophy" after
him. The rules of early Rugby contributed too many other codes of
football in England and other English speaking countries during the
19th century. American football is one of these games. It could be
argued that American football is a purer form of football than say
Association football (soccer) or Australian Rules football because
like Rugby is retains more of the original medieval
characteristics.
Another Alternate Answer
Soccer was invented by the Chinese over a thousand years ago, it
was re-invented and codified by Britain, who is known as "the home
of football." Goal posts with nets were introduced in the very late
1800s.
Football started as a form of Rugby. Walter Camp is credited
with being " The father of American Football" by implementing
various rule changes.
American football is created from Rugby (English sport) and
soccer is actually the real football(or as it is known around the
world) Football was created by the English.
Simple Alternate Answer
The Chinese invented playing with a soccer ball and goals but in
a very different style. The ball was made from blubber from the
inner intestate of frogs and other animals. They would have a
certain number of small goals or holes used as goals to score in.
Later as dynasties changed they would use the soccer ball to play
volleyball style soccer, and technique and juggling became a
fashion as opposed to playing and scoring.
Britain later adapted but more over invented the official game
of football.
They changed the style and rules up with 1 goal and 2 post thus
inventing the game of football, futbol, or known in US as
soccer.
The first Major league was started by the Scottish called the
Scottish Premier League
Historically correct Answer
The word "football" is an English term which in
early medieval times was spelt "fote-ball" (first
recorded c.1400) to describe a 'ball game played on
foot'. Early football games were not only played by the
English but also by other European peoples under different names
with localized innovations. Other forms include Irish
"Caid" meaning 'Ball' the ancestor of Gaelic
football, Cornish Hurling "Hyrl�®an", Welsh
Hurling "Cnapan". A game called "La
Soule" meaning 'The Ball' was played in France,
"Ba" pronounced baw
meaning 'Ball' played in Scotland and "Ball play"
or "Playing at ball" or significantly
"fote-ball" games played in England. These
medieval ball games are the ones from which all modern football
codes evolved and the Shrovetide ball game referred to as
"fote-ball" is the version from which all modern
football games take their name. These games may have evolved from a
game played by the Romans called "Harpastum" which
itself was an adaptation of an Ancient Greek game called
"Episkyros" or "Phaininda" which,
dating back to at least the 4th century BC, is the Worlds oldest
known ball game that matches the medieval definition of football.
It is worth noting that Harpastum was later recreated in 16th
centaury Italy as "Calcio". Although there is a
strong possibility the Roman and Greek ball games evolved into
Shrovetide football and other similar ball games played in Europe
as yet there are no verifiable connections. Dispite the lack of
evidence it should be noted it is recorded that in Florence 59BC a
game of Harpastum was played between Eipiphany and Lent the last
day "Shrove Tuesday" the exact day on which Shrovetide football is
still played in Derbyshire England. It should also be noted that
Harpastum was taken to the Roman province of Britannia (modern day
Britain) where it is recorded in 217AD that a game took place
between the Romans and the native Britons. The Ancient Chinese also
played a game called "Cuju" that dates back to the
late 3rd centaury BC which has similarities to Association
football. However, despite attempts by FIFA to infer an historical
link between Cuju and Association Football there are no connections
between Cuju and early ball games played in medieval Europe.
When discussing football it is a common mistake that football is
the same subject as Soccer. This is incorrect. There are many forms
of football of which "Soccer" or
"Association Football" is just one code. Other
popular codes include American football (Gridiron), Canadian
football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, Rugby Union
football and Rugby league football. Some of these codes took ideas
from previous codes. American football is a mix of Soccer, Rugby
and ideas created in the USA in particular the forward pass.
Canadian football is based on Rugby whilst Australian rules
football and Gaelic football both draw ideas from Rugby, Soccer and
in particular the medieval Shrovetide game Caid played in Ireland.
Association football or Soccer was a product of English Public
schools who had played football by various rules for centuries.
Then in 1848 Cambridge University attempted to create a standard
set of rules for Public schools. Two former students of Shrewsbury
School Mr. H. de Winton and Mr. J.C. Thring organized a meeting at
Trinity College, Cambridge with 12 representatives from other
schools namely Eton, Harrow, Rugby, Winchester and Shrewsbury. In
the eight hour meeting these men created what became the 'blue
print' for Soccer. These rules became known as the
"Cambridge Rules" which unlike "Rugby
School Rules" (1823) favours a game in which the ball
would be kicked more than carried. In 1863 a solicitor from Hull
called Ebenezer Cobb Morley wrote an article for Bell's Life
newspaper promoting the idea of a new regulatory body for football.
This led to the formation of the "Football
Association" whose main aim was to standardise the rules
of football nationally. This new code was to be based on the
Cambridge Rules. The 'Laws of the game' for Soccer
or Association football were drafted by E. C. Morley along with
other founder members of the Football Association. They agreed the
rules at a public house called the Freemasons Tavern in London on
26th October 1863. Morley became the Football Associations first
secretary. He also founded the Barnes Football Club in 1862 which
he captained against Richmond football club in the first ever
soccer match. The game ended 0-0 but in a return game he scored the
first ever goal. He died in 1924 and is buried at a Cemetery on
Barnes Common not far from where he drafted the Laws of the game at
26 The Terrace, Barnes, London. A blue plaque commemorating his
life's work was placed on the wall of this address by English
Heritage in 2009.
Entomology of the word soccer: The word soccer is a phonetic
abbreviation of the word 'Association' coined by English public
school students who took the 'soc' from
'Association' and put an 'er' on
the end. That is why prior to 1863 the word soccer did not exist.
It is probably worth noting the same students called Rugby football
'Rugger' but this word fell out of use.
Research Observations
When I first heard FIFA's claim soccer originated in China I was
intrigued by the idea. Like many others I believed what FIFA said
must be true. As a football fan I was keen to read the evidence
they hand uncovered. I already knew that Association Football,
American Football, Rugby Union Football, Rugby League Football,
Australian Rules football and Gaelic football all evolved from
medieval ball games played Europe, but prior to this I had no idea
where football came from. I decided to read up on this new FIFA
discovery.
One problem I encountered straight away was that when looking
for this proof FIFA claimed to have uncovered I could not find any!
I then discovered FIFA had only put together a hypothesis that the
British community who lived in China during the 19th centaury had
taken Cuju back to England where it was used as a basis for
Association Football. FIFA found no evidence to back up this
colonialist idea and the more they looked the more they discovered
their idea had no basis in fact, yet they still clamed "scientific
evidence".
I decided to take a look at this so called 'scientific
evidence'. What I found was a cleverly worded opinion by a self
appointed FIFA authority who implied there was a scientific
connection between Cuju and Soccer and who wrote in a way that any
casual reader would be seduced into thinking they were reading
proof when in fact they were reading theory.
Around the same time it became clear FIFA were aggressively
pushing the sale of their football product in China. That is when
the alarm bells started to ring and I realised there might be an
ulterior motive to why FIFA were going to so much trouble. It
should be noted that the Football Association in England who are
promoting their Premiership product in China were happy to
capitulate with FIFA accepting as a gift a Chinese picture of a
Cuju player whilst smiling for the cameras.
Meanwhile back in the real world, despite anything FIFA have
said the rules of Association Football remain a reworked version of
Cambridge Rules Football which themselves were a hybrid of many
games which had been played in English and some Irish public
schools for hundreds of years. That is a verifiable and
unchanged.
Later on I read an article where the FIFA President clamed Cuju
spread from China to the Roman Empire. Clearly being unable to
connect Cuju directly to Soccer through British colonialist FIFA
had changed their story. I looked for the evidence to support this
new claim. The Roman ball in question is called Harpastum. What I
discovered is that Harpastum was the Romanised version of an
Ancient Greek football game called Phaininda or Episkyros played as
early as 2000 BC some 1300 - 1700 years before Cuju is appeared in
China.
Incredibly it would seem FIFA were trying to change known
European history by substituting the Greek game of Episkyros with
the Chinese game of Cuju. I conclude FIFA's claim that football
originated in China literally does not add up in time frame or
otherwise. I believe this theory has now been abandoned by FIFA,
although the importance of the Greek and Roman contribution to all
forms of modern football is still played down by them.
I have looked at Cuju and there in no doubt the game agrees with
the definition of a foot ball game. However, short of FIFA
providing evidence there is a connection with Cuju and the foot
ball games played in medieval Europe, the only possible conclusion
is that Cuju developed in south east Asia free of outside influence
and as such has to be viewed as a sport in it's own right which
from first principles developed independently.
After this I decided to start researching the origins of
medieval ball games played in Europe which are known to have
collectively contributed to the evolution of football. I wanted to
find out if medieval foot ball games could be connected to the
Roman game Harpastum.
The games I researched were the ball game played in Northern
French known as La Soule "The Ball", Mob football played in
England, Cornish Hurling, Welsh Hurling, Gaelic football, Irish
Hurling and Shrovetide football which was played in many European
countries in medieval times. All these games have similar rules (if
any rules) two teams, two goals (such as they were) and were played
within a defined area.
All these games have similarities to Harpastum but the one that
stands our above the rest is Cornish Hurling. It is now my belief
that the Roman games Harpastum and Cornish Hurling (Hyrl�®an in
Cornish Celtic) are one and the same game. The game of Hurling is
of Celtic origin and the Cornish are descendants of the
Romano-Britons who are known to have played Harpastum.
The rules of Harpastum are ambiguous but what we do know from
the concepts used include a small hard ball, two goals (such as
they were), two teams. Cornish Hurling also uses small hard ball,
two goals, two teams and virtually no rules which might account for
the reason detailed rules of Harpastum have not survived.
Harpastum and Cornish Hurling were/are also played on public
holidays notably days of Christian importance such as Shrovetide.
And it was of course the Romans who converted the Romano-Britons to
Christianity which also ties in.
I accept that this theory does not provide absolute proof of a
connection between Harpastum and Cornish Hurling. Due to very few
first millennium AD documents surviving it is unlikely definitive
proof exist. However, when you take an overall view on this I have
identified decedents of Romano-Britons who live in the right place,
who Cary on traditions from generation to generation, playing a
similar ball game to the Romans, using a similar small hard ball as
the Romans, with the same disregard for safety as the Romans and
who are celebrating Christian festivals in a way the Romans did. I
would liken this to what Douglas Adams once said "If it looks like
a duck, and quacks like a duck, we have at least to consider the
possibility that we have a small aquatic bird of the family
anatidae on our hands". At the very least there is a tangible
theory here which connects Harpastum with modern day forms of
football which is more than can be for Cuju.
I will leave it there for you to decide for yourself. We know
Cornish Hurling was one of the similar medieval ball games which
contributed to the creation of early Rugby games. Some of the codes
and concepts introduced by Rugby and other public schools in
England would later be used to create Cambridge Rules football,
American Football, Association Football (soccer) and Australian
Rules football.
Gaelic Football is much older that the aforementioned games and
is one of the family of medieval ball game which evolved
independently of Rugby although is should be noted is connected
from medieval times and contributed to the rules of Australian
Rules Football which also draw upon the rules of Association
Football. So when UEFA placed an image of a Greek Episkyros player
taken on the European Cup there were right to do so because all the
evidence points to football originating in Ancient Greece 4000
years ago.
Gridiron football, not futbol or soccer, first documented
football game was played at the University of Toronto on the
present site of University College 400 yards west of Queen's Park
on November 9, 1861. One of the participants in the game involving
University of Toronto students was Sir William Mulock, later it's
Chancellor. It has been modernized ever since.
The man that is credited with inventing football is Walter
Camp.
Asked in Inventions, Computer History
Who invented the computer?

This is not a question with a simple answer. It partly depends
on what you mean by "computer". Many inventors contributed to the
history of computers and that a computer is a complex piece of
machinery made up of many parts, each of which can be considered a
separate invention. Many say the first computer is the "difference
engine." The first of these devices was conceived in 1786 by J.H.
Müller. It was never built.
Difference engines were forgotten and then rediscovered in 1822
by Englishman Charles Babbage, who is known as "the father of the
Computer". This machine used the decimal numbers system and was
powered by cranking a handle. The British government first financed
the project but then later cut off support. Babbage went on to
design his much more general analytical engine but later returned
and produced an improved design (his "Difference Engine No. 2")
between 1834 and 1869. But he was never able to build any of these
designs.
Others point out that this is the first DIGITAL computer. The
earliest computer known is the Antikythera Machine, a mechanical
analog device that computed the positions of the astrological signs
on any given date, past or future. It was discovered in an ancient
shipwreck in the Mediterranean Sea and dates to approximately 250
BC. The designer/builder is not known, but because of its
similarity to other mechanical devices known to have been designed
by Archimedes, it is probably his work.
Still others will say the abacus is the first computer. They
were invented by the Chinese between 2600 BC and 300 BC is
considered as the first computer ever. Abacus was used by the
merchants and Clerks in China. However the abacus is NOT automatic,
but it is digital; so it is more of a "calculation aid" or
"calculator" than a computer.
Here is still more input:
If you mean Electronic Computer, it was a man called Alan
Turing from Cambridge UK, who was drafted in to Bletchley park
secret base where they worked at cracking the WWII enigma codes
that the Germans used every day. The Germans changed their Enigma
machines to a four digit code maker. However, Because what went on
at Bletchley Park the computer made from thousands of valves was
kept top secret up until recently. The computer, named Colossus was
smashed to pieces at the end of the war. The buildings have now
been restored as a tourist center.
The Colossus Mark I 1943, the world's first programmable,
digital, electronic, computing devices... its follow up the Mark II
was used by British codebreakers to read encrypted German "tunny"
teletype cypher during World War II (notably D Day)
The first computer, or "modern computer" was invented in World
War II by a German engineer, Konrad Zuse in 1941 called the Z3. The
Z3 was a fully digital, binary, floating point arithmetic,
electromechanical relay machine programmed with punch recycled 35mm
film. About the only things it lacked were conditional branches,
loops, and subroutines. It was destroyed in an allied bombing raid
after completion but before it saw real use.
It was Konrad Zuse. He invented the z1, z2, z3, z4 and other
ones. The z3 was the first fully functional program-controlled
electromechanical digital computer in the world-completed in 1941.
Charles Babbage just made a mechanical computing machine.
The first electronic digital computer was invented by Bulgarian
John Vincent Atanasoff. He named it the Atanasoff Berry Computer,
or the ABC. It was the world's first electronic digital computer
and built between 1937-42 by John Vincent Atanasoff and Clifford
Berry at Iowa State University. It used regenerative memory (i.e.
dynamic), parallel processing, binary arithmetic and split
computing functions (routines) away from memory use and management.
However it was not programmable (it could only solve simultaneous
equations problems).
Now, if we're talking technical knowledge and actual precursors
to the PC - IBM may have accidentally spread it around when they
allowed cloning of the PC architecture. But they were not the
first. [This answer refers to desktop "personal" computers. These
were far from the first computers.
These are all pre-IBM machines: MITS ALTAIR 8800, Apple II,
TRS80, Atari 800 and the Commodore 64. [This answer refers to
desktop "personal" computers. These were far from the first
computers.
Purists who claim that the ALTAIR was not the first, will say
it was 'Simon' by Berkley Enterprises, 1950, costing $300. [This
answer refers to desktop "personal" computers. These were
far from the first computers.]
The first completely electronic computer was developed in
England in 1943. It was known as Colossus. It took up 1,000 Sq. ft.
weighed 30 tons/60,000 pounds. And took 150 kilowatts which is
enough power to light up a small town.
The first working computer (in the modern sense) was invented
by Konrad Zuse. But others had created machines or ideas close to
it before. These were people like Pascal, Leibniz and Turing.
The first patent for a working computer (outside the military)
was the UNIVAC, created by Drs. John Mauchly and Presper Eckert in
1948. They formed the Eckert-Mauchly Computer Corporation, which
was bought in 1950 (just as they were on the verge of bankruptcy)
by Remington Rand. Their computer was used in the 1950 census
(starting in mid-1951 when the first one was finished) and by
Walter Cronkite in the 1952 Presidential election.
The ENIAC patent was declared invalid on October 19, 1973, by
US Federal Judge Earl R. Larson. He attributed Atanasoff and Berry
with the invention of the electronic digital computer. For more
information see the related Link.
If you define a computer as the first device for doing
mathematical calculations, the answer would be the "Babbage
Difference Engine", invented by Charles Babbage but never
completely built. However, computers trace their lineage to
19th-century power looms which became "programmable" by use of
something akin to a punch-card which was used to determine which
color thread would be used at any given time in the loom's weaving
process. On an even more basic level, you could consider the first
use of cams to determine timing of any mechanism (such as steam
engine poppet valves) to be the first "computer".
Charles Babbage, an English mathematician, originated the
concept of a programmable computer. Considered a "father of the
computer", Babbage is credited with inventing the first mechanical
computer that eventually led to more complex designs. His proposed
models were the Difference Engine and the Analytical Engine. The
Difference Engine came first around 1822 and was more limited and
not programmable. it was intended to generate mathematical tables.
This machine contained 25,000 parts and weighed 15 tons. Babbage
followed this with a "difference engine 2" which, although well
funded, was never completed. Babbage also designed a printer to go
along with the computer, but this also was never completed. In
1989-1991, the London science museum made a difference engine 2 and
printer from Babbage's design. Both worked perfectly. The
programmer for the Analytical Engine, built around 1825, was Ada
Lovelace (first programmer). None of these machines was ever built
during Babbage's time, for many reasons including: Babbage could
never finalize a design he always had to go on to improved designs,
arguments with his machinist, funding, etc.
American physicist John Atanasoff built the first rudimentary
electronic computer in the late 1930s and early 1940s, although for
several decades afterward credit for the first electronic computer
went to the scientists who assembled the Electronic Numerical
Integrator and Computer (ENIAC) for the United States military by
1945. Danish physicist Allan Mackintosh recounts in a Scientific
American article how Atanasoff first conceived of the design
principles that are still used in present-day computers. Dr.
Atanasoff's Computer The men who for decades were credited with
inventing the first electronic digital computers were not, in fact,
first. That honor belongs to a once forgotten physicist named John
V. Atanasoff.
Asked in Inventions, Skiing, Olympics Alpine Skiing
Where was skiing invented?

3 friendus after a merger:
1. Pre-historic Nordic people invented skiing to assist hunting,
military technique, and as a practical transportation for
themselves and the Samis. The oldest and most accurately documented
evidence of skiing origins is found in modern day Norway and
Sweden. The earliest primitive carvings circa 5000 B.C. depict a
skier with one pole, located in Rødøy, an island in the Nordland
region of Norway. The first primitive ski was found in a peat bog
in Hoting, Sweden which dates back to 2500 or 4500 B.C. Joel
Berglund reported in 2004 the discovery of a primitive ski, or
"85cm long piece of wood", carbon tested by researchers in 1997
while excavating a Norse settlement near Nanortalik, Greenland. The
primitive ski dated back to 1010, and is thought to be Greenland's
oldest ski brought by Norsemen circa 980 A.D.
2. It is centuries old, exact origins unknown. Widely attributed
to ancient Norsemen who began gliding on long flat boards to cross
vast snow covered distances more quickly. They called this mode of
travel "shee" or "skee." Norseman who had to deal with downhill
sections carried a stick -- the first ski pole -- which they
dragged between their legs as a primitive brake.
Lift served downhill skiing evolved in Europe prior to World War
I, and became popular in the USA in the 1930s. Cross country and
downhill skiing did not become thought of as separate sports in
this country until Hannes Schneider brought the Arlberg method to
North Conway NH in the late 1930s. For more information on the
evolution of skiing in the USA, I suggest you visit The New England
Ski Museum website: http://www.skimuseum.org/view3.html
3. Before it was a sport, skiing was an important means of
transportation.
The exact origin of skiing is unclear, but there is evidence
that Scandinavians were using skis to travel and hunt over
snow-covered terrain as far back as 4,000 years ago.
Organized slalom races were first introduced in Europe during
the 1920s and the first world championship was organized in 1931.
Shortly thereafter, Americans caught on and interest in this
country snowballed throughout the 1930s.
Alpine skiing made its Olympic debut at the 1936
Garmisch-Partenkirchen Games with a men's and women's combined
event, featuring a downhill and two slalom runs. Giant slalom first
appeared at the 1952 Oslo Games and the super giant slalom, or
super G, was added at the 1988 Calgary Games.
Asked in Inventions, Computer History, Microprocessors
When was the computer invented?

The answer to this question depends on your definition of a
"computer". The earliest "computers" were mechanical devices used
to help people count. The first known counting devices or tools
were Tally Sticks from about 35,000 BCE.
The abacus was invented, possibly by the Babylonians or the
Chinese in about 2400 BCE. The abacus consists of movable counters
that can be manipulated to add and subtract. The abacus is still
used today for basic arithmetic.
As mathematics became more complex, it got harder and harder to
invent mechanical devices to solve math problems. One of these
devices was conceived in 1786 by J. H. Mueller, who called it a
"Difference Engine." It was never built.
Difference engines were forgotten and then rediscovered in 1822
by Mathematics Professor Charles Babbage. This machine used the
decimal number system and was powered by cranking a handle. The
British government first financed the project but later cut off
support. Babbage went on to design a much more general analytical
engine in 1845, but later returned and produced an improved design
(his "Difference Engine No. 2") between 1847 and 1849. Babbage's
design was completed in 1871 by his son, Helmet P.Babbage. The
Analytical Engine was designed to be powered by a steam engine and
was to use punched cards to direct its operation. Punched cards
were in use to program mechanical looms at the time.
During WWII Konrad Zuse invented the Z1. According to Mary
Bellis, the Z1 was the first real functioning, binary computer
(actually, it was a very large calculator--but a computer
nonetheless!). Zuse used it to explore several ground-breaking
technologies in calculator development: floating-point arithmetic,
high-capacity memory and modules or relays operating on the yes/no
principle. Zuse's ideas, not fully implemented in the Z1, succeeded
more with each Z prototype.
In 1939, Zuse completed the Z2, the first fully functioning
electro-mechanical computer. It was followed by the Z3. These
machines were used to produce secret codes for the German military.
For a while this gave the Germans a decided advantage. But then,
the British, guided by mathematician Alan Turing, created the
Colossus Mark I.
Colossus was the world's first programmable, digital electronic
computer, developed in 1942-43 at "Station X", Bletchley Park,
England. British code breakers used Colossus to read the encrypted
German messages. The Germans didn't know their "Enigma" code had
been broken. This is one reason the D-Day Invasion succeeded.
In 1939, John V. Atanasoff and Clifford Berry developed the
Atanasoff-Berry Computer (ABC) at Iowa State University, which was
regarded as the first electronic digital computer. The ABC was
built by hand and the design used over 300 vacuum tubes and had
capacitors fixed in a mechanically rotating drum for memory.
In 1945, ENIAC, created by J. Presper Eckert and John Mauchly,
was unveiled. ENIAC (Electronic Numerator Integrator Analyzer and
Computer) weighed in at 27 tons and filled a large room. Not
surprisingly, ENIAC also made big noises, cracking and buzzing
while performing an equation of 5,000 additions. Before the
invention of ENIAC, it took a room full of people to calculate a
similar equation.
The first electronic computer that could store its own programs
was developed in 1948 at Manchester University. It was called "The
baby" and celebrated its 60th birthday in 2008. See BBC and
Manchester University links in related links below. This is widely
considered to be the forerunner of the modern computer.
The UNIVAC I (Universal Automatic Computer) was the first
commercially available, "mass produced" electronic computer. It was
manufactured by Remington Rand in the USA and was delivered to the
US Census Bureau in June 1951. UNIVAC I used 5,200 vacuum tubes and
consumed 125 kW of power. 46 machines were sold at more than $1
million each. By this time, computer design was limited primarily
by the size and heat of vacuum tubes.
The vacuum tube was eventually replaced by the transistor.
Shortly afterward, in 1959, the monolithic integrated circuit (now
called the microchip) was invented by Jack Kilby at Texas
Instruments in Dallas, Texas, and a few months later by Robert
Noyce, of Fairchild Semiconductor in California. The two companies
were embroiled in legal actions for years, but finally decided to
cross-license their products. Kilby was awarded the Nobel Prize in
Physics in 2000.
The microchip led to the development of the microcomputer --
small, low-cost computers that individuals and small businesses
could afford. The first home computers became commercially viable
in the mid to late 1970s, but more so in the early 1980s. By the
1990s, the microcomputer or Personal Computer (PC) became a common
household appliance, and became even more widespread with the
advent of the Internet.
It is hard to state the exact date the computer was invented as it
a continuous process. Computers were first introduced in 1822.
Asked in Inventions, Telephones
Who invented the telephone when where and how?

Alexander Graham Bell received the first patent for a telephone
in 1876. He came up with the idea at his summer home in Brantford,
Ontario, Canada, but built the first device in Boston,
Massachusetts, USA. There are several other competing claims for
who should be given credit for inventing the telephone, including
Antonio Meucci and Elisha Gray.
The basic principle of the telephone is that the vibrations of
sound waves hitting a conductor can cause the electricity passing
through the conductor to fluctuate, and those electrical
fluctuations can then cause a magnet to recreate the sound waves.
If you speak at the first conductor (the microphone), and then pass
the electrical fluctuations to a magnet (the speaker) at the other
end of a wire, you have a telephone.
Asked in Inventions, Computer History, Laptops
Who invented the laptop computer?

There were many engineering refinements to the laptop concept.
Here are some of the significant developments:
The "clam shell" design which represents our modern laptop was
created in 1979 by William Moggridge (a Briton) for GRiD Systems
Corporation. GRiD's Compass Computer entered the market in 1981.
GRiD was acquired by Tandy Corporation in 1988.
One of the first commercially available laptop computers was
invented by Adam Osborne in 1981. It was called the "Osborne I" and
cost $1795. It came bundled with $1500 worth of programs. It had a
tiny computer screen built into it. The Osborne I and Kaypro II
were not really laptops, but "luggables" - at 23.5 lb and 29 lb,
respectively.
One of the first modern style of "laptops" may well have been
the Radio Shack TRS-80 Model 100, with weight of approximately 3.1
lb.
Compaq Computer introduced their first computer which was
considered portable around 1981 or 1982. It was about the same size
as a modern mini-tower laid on its side, included a green
monochrome monitor that was about 7 inches diagonally, and had a
full-sized keyboard with a coiled cord that snapped over the
monitor.
"The Dynabook concept was created by Alan Kay in 1968, two years
before the founding of Xerox PARC. Kay wanted to make "A Personal
Computer For Children Of All Ages." The ideas let to the
development of the Xerox Alto prototype, which was originally
called "the interim Dynabook". It embodied all the elements of a
graphical user interface, or GUI, as early as 1972. The software
component of this research was Smalltalk, which went on to have a
life of its own independent of the Dynabook concept.
The Dynabook concept now known as a laptop computer or, (in some
of its other incarnations) a tablet PC or slate computer with
nearly eternal battery life and software aimed at giving children
access to digital media. Adults could also use a Dynabook, but the
target audience was children."
The laptop computer was invented by Adam Osborne in 1981. It was
called the "Osborne 1" and cost $1795. It came bundled with $1500
worth of programs. It had a tiny computer screen built into it.
What is a laptop computer?
A laptop is a computer that can be folded up and carried
around.
When was the laptop invented?
The laptop was invented in 1981.
Where was it invented?
It was invented by Osborne Computers, a book company that sold
books to McGraw-Hill.
How was it invented?
It was invented by taking computer technology from that time and
scaling it down to make a smaller, more portable computer.
A:
Adam Osborne invented the laptop
There were many engineering refinements to the laptop concept,
however ....
"The Dynabook concept was created by Alan Kay in 1968,
two years before the founding of Xerox PARC. Kay wanted to make "A
Personal Computer For Children Of All Ages." The ideas let to the
development of the Xerox Alto prototype, which was originally
called "the interim Dynabook". It embodied all the elements of a
graphical user interface, or GUI, as early as 1972. The software
component of this research was Smalltalk, which went on to have a
life of its own independent of the Dynabook concept.
The Dynabook concept now known as a laptop computer or, (in some
of its other incarnations) a tablet PC or slate computer with
nearly eternal battery life and software aimed at giving children
access to digital media. Adults could also use a Dynabook, but the
target audience was children."
etc.
A:
Steven John Freer in 1979
A:
The "clam shell" design which represents our
modern laptop was created in 1979 by William
Moggridge (a Briton) for GRiD Systems Corporation. GRiD's
Compass Computer entered the market in 1981. GRiD was acquired by
Tandy Corporation in 1988. Tandy
recognizing the significance of the GRiD Patent
portfolio (which also represented over 20 patents for hand
writing recognition and pen based computing) aggressively
pursued
settlements with most of the major laptops and computers sales
company . As a former GRiD exec we always wished we could have had
the resources to do the same prior to the Tandy
acquisition. GRiD was sold again in 1993 to AST Computers
with Tandy holding onto to the GRiD patents.
A:
One of the first commercially available laptop computers was
invented by Adam Osborne in 1981. It
was called the "Osborne I" and cost $1795. It came
bundled with $1500 worth of programs. It had a tiny computer screen
built into it.
(The Osborne I and Kaypro II were not really
laptops, but "luggables" - at 23.5 lb and 29 lb, respectively)
One of the first modern style of "laptops" may well have been
the Radio Shack TRS-80 Model 100, with weight of
approximately 3.1 lb.
A:
Compaq Portable circa 1981 or 1982?
I can't say if this was the definitive "invention" of the
laptop, but I do remember that, when IBM PC XTs were running 8088
processors at 4.77MHz with 5MB disk drives, Compaq Computer
introduced their first computer which was considered portable at
the time. It was about the same size as a modern mini-tower laid on
its side, included a green monochrome monitor that was about 7
inches diagonally, and had a full-sized keyboard with a coiled cord
that snapped over the monitor. I think it ran an 8086 processor at
6 or 8MHz.
Below is a link to a site with several photographs.
Steve Jobs
Designed in 1979 by a Briton, William Moggridge, for Grid Systems
Corporation, the Grid Compass was one fifth the weight of any model
equivalent in performance and was used by NASA on the space shuttle
program in the early 1980's. A 340K byte bubble memory lap-top
computer with die-cast magnesium case and folding
electroluminescent graphics display screen. Other computers before
this were portable, but too heavy, and therefore, it is
questionable if they can be called laptops. A few other models that
were lightweight had two line, text only displays and should also
be considered.
Asked in Inventions, History of the Web
Who invented the Internet?

Answer The Internet was originally developed by
DARPA - the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency - as a means
to share information on defense research between involved
universities and defense research facilities.
Originally it was just email and FTP sites as well as the
Usenet, where scientists could question and answer each other. It
was originally called ARPANET (Advanced Research Projects Agency
NETwork). The concept was developed starting in 1964, and the first
messages passed were between UCLA and the Stanford Research
Institute in 1969. Leonard Kleinrock of MIT had published the first
paper on packet switching theory in 1961. Since networking
computers was new to begin with, standards were being developed on
the fly. Once the concept was proven, the organizations involved
started to lay out some ground rules for standardization.
One of the most important was the communications protocol,
TCP/IP, developed by Vint Cerf and Robert Kahn in 1974. Robert
Metcalfe is credited with Ethernet, which is the basic
communication standard in networked computers.
Tim Berners-Lee, who perhaps specified technological
applicability and/or linguistic construction of HTML while working
at CERN, is chiefly credited for the ease of use and wide public
adoption of the web. His website is: w3.org.
Al Gore really did have a substantial part in the US legal
framework and governmental issues related to the Internet; he never
said he invented it.
There wasn't just ONE person who invented the Internet. The
Internet is just a way to view files and information that someone
puts onto a server. The Internet is just a way to access the
information.
Leonard Kleinrock was the first person to write a paper on the
idea of packet switching (which is essential for the Internet to
work. He wrote this idea in 1961.
Others who were essential to what we now call the Internet.
(Without these guys, the Internet wouldn't exist):
Larry G. Roberts created the first functioning long-distance
computer networks in 1965 and designed the Advanced Research
Projects Agency Network (ARPANET), the seed from which the modern
Internet grew, in 1966.
Bob Kahn and Vint Cerf invented the Transmission Control
Protocol (TCP) which moves data on the modern Internet, in 1972 and
1973. If any two people "invented the Internet," it was Kahn and
Cerf - but they have publicily stated that "no one person or group
of people" invented the Internet.
Radia Perlman invented the spanning tree algorithm in the 1980s.
Her spanning tree algorithm allows efficient bridging between
separate networks. Without a good bridging solution, large-scale
networks like the Internet would be impractical.
Answer
Like most things, the internet has many fathers. But the
Americans Bob Metcalf and Dave Boggs at Xerox PARC in 1974 should
get most of the credit. There is a hilarious memo on the www from
Metcalf's Xerox boss dismissing the idea as foolish. But Tim
Berners-Lee in about 1992 invented the world wide web. This was
adapted from other search engines like Gopher, but was chiefly
responsible for the ease of use and wide adoption of the
WWW+Internet.
Tim Berners-Lee is the inventor of the World Wide Web, commonly
expressed as 'the internet'.
A single person did not create the Internet that we know and use
today. Below is a listing of several different people who've helped
contribute and develop the Internet.
The idea
The initial idea is credited as being Leonard Kleinrock's
after he published his first paper entitled "Information Flow in
Large Communication Nets" on May 31, 1961.
In 1962 J.C.R. Licklider becomes the first Director of
IPTO and gave his vision of a galactic network. In addition to the
ideas from Licklider and Kleinrock, Robert Taylor helped
create the idea of the network, which later became ARPANET.
Initial creation
The Internet as we know it today first started being developed
in the late 1960's.
In the summer of 1968, the Network Working Group (NWG) held its
first meeting chaired by Elmer Shapirowith the Stanford
Research Institute (SRI) with attendees: Steve Carr,
Steve Crocker, Jeff Rulifson, andRon
Stoughton. In the meeting the group discussed solving issues
related to getting hosts to communicate with each other.
In December 1968, Elmer Shapiro with SRI released a report "A
Study of Computer Network Design Parameters." Based on this work
and earlier work done by Paul Baran, Thomas Marill
and others;Lawrence Roberts and Barry Wessler helped
to create the final version of the Interface Message Processor
(IMP) specifications. Bolt Beranek and Newman, Inc. (BBN)
was later awarded the contract to design and build the IMP sub
network.
Introduction of the Internet to the general public
UCLA puts out a press release introducing the public to the
Internet on July 3, 1969.
First network equipment
August 29, 1969 the first network switch and the first piece of
network equipment called "IMP", which is short for (Interface
Message Processor) is sent to UCLA. On September 2, 1969 the first
data moves from UCLA host to the switch.
The first distributed message and network crash
On Friday October 29, 1969 at 10:30 p.m., the first Internet
message was sent from computer science Professor Leonard
KleinRock's laboratory at UCLA, after the second piece of
network equipment was installed at SLI. This connection not
only enabled the first transmission to be made, but is also
considered to be the first Internet backbone.
The first message to be distributed was "LO", which was an
attempt at "LOGIN" by Charley S. Kline to log into the SLI
computer from UCLA. However, the message was unable to be completed
because the SLI system crashed. Shortly after the crash, the issue
was resolved and he was able to log into the computer.
E-mail is developed
Ray Tomlinson introduces network e-mail in 1972. The
first messaging system to send messages across a network to other
users.
TCP is developed
Vinton Cerf and Robert Kahn design TCP during 1973
and later publish it with the help of Yogen Dalaland Carl
Sunshine in December of 1974 in RFC 675.
First commercial network
A commercial version of ARPANET known as Telenet is introduced
in 1974 and considered by many to be the first Internet Service
Provider (ISP).
Ethernet is conceived
Bob Metcalfe develops Ethernet idea in 1973.
TCP/IP is created
In 1978 TCP splits into TCP/IP driven by Danny Cohen,
David Reed, and John Shoch to support real-time
traffic. This allows the creation of UDP. TCP/IP is later
standardized into ARPANET in 1983 and is still the primary protocol
used for the Internet.
DNS is introduced
Paul Mockapetris and Jon Postel introduce DNS in
1984.
HTML
In 1990 Tim Berners-Lee develops HTML, which made a huge
contribution to how we navigate and view the Internet today.
WWW
Tim Berners-Lee introduces WWW to the public on August 6,
1991.
Asked in Inventions, Math History
Who invented the abacus?

The first reported and substantiated use of an abacus, or
abacus-like instrument was in Sumeria between 2,700 and 2,300 BCE -
or roughly 4,700 years ago.
This used a table of columns with each column equivalent to an
order of magnitude above the previous column; just as we would have
columns for x10, x100, x1000, x10000.
During the next 2000 years various forms of this came into
common usage across areas of the world (Mesopotamia, Persia, Egypt,
India, China, Greece, Rome). Some were similar in appearance, while
others used the same principals, but looked slightly different. For
example the Roman abacus used a clay tablet with columns and
counting stones (a counting board), while the Chinese version
looked almost identical, but had fixed string columns with counting
stones attached to them - similar how most people picture an
abacus.
The spread and variance in design of the abacus is probably due
to the movement of early traders across the early trade routes
(Silk Road etc.). The abacus is still made extensive use of today,
as they are simple to use, fast and don't require batteries to
operate them. The word abacus comes to us by way of Latin as a
mutation of the Greek word abax. In turn, the Greeks may have
adopted the Phoenician word abak, meaning "sand," although some
authorities lean toward the Hebrew word abhaq, meaning "dust."
Irrespective of the source, the original concept referred to a
flat stone covered with sand (or dust) into which numeric symbols
were drawn. The first abacus was almost certainly based on such a
stone, with pebbles being placed on lines drawn in the sand. Over
time, the stone was replaced by a wooden frame supporting thin
sticks, braided hair, or leather thongs, onto which clay beads or
pebbles with holes were threaded. A variety of different types of
abacus were developed, but the most popular became those based on
the bi-quinary system, which utilizes a combination of two bases
(base-2 and base-5) to represent decimal numbers.
Although the abacus does not qualify as a mechanical calculator,
it certainly stands proud as one of first mechanical aids to
calculation.
Both the abacus and the counting board are mechanical aids used
for counting; they are not calculators in the sense we use the word
today. The person operating the abacus performs calculations in
their head and uses the abacus as a physical aid to keep track of
the sums, the carrys, etc.
What did the first counting board look like?
The earliest counting boards are forever lost because of the
perishable materials used in their construction. However, educated
guesses can be made about their construction, based on early
writings of Plutarch (a priest at the Oracle at Delphi) and
others.
In outdoor markets of those times, the simplest counting board
involved drawing lines in the sand with ones fingers or with a
stylus, and placing pebbles between those lines as place-holders
representing numbers (the spaces between 2 lines would represent
the units 10s, 100s, etc.). The more affluent people, could afford
small wooden tables having raised borders that were filled with
sand (usually coloured blue or green). A benefit of these counting
boards on tables, was that they could be moved without disturbing
the calculation- the table could be picked up and carried
indoors.
With the need for portable devices, wooden boards with grooves
carved into the surface were then created and wooden markers (small
discs) were used as place-holders. The wooden boards then gave way
to even more more durable materials like marble and metal (bronze)
used with stone or metal markers.
There is no way that anyone can tell who invented the abacus. But
it must have been first used as an intermediate way of noting the
computation or count before commiting the final result on papyrus
for the Egyptians, or on paper or whatever the Greeks used to write
their records on.
Remember that the four fundamental operations would have been
impossible on both Egypt and Greece's system of writing numbers,
but notice that the system of numeration of both are forerunners of
the Hindu base 10 system of numeration.
This means that the systems of writing numbers - Hindu, Greek,
Egyptian, are in a sense the same. All three write numbers in the 1
to 9, 10 to 90, 100 to 900 patterns.
The numeration system of Greece and Egypt were the cumbersome to
use that Rome decided to simplify the writing of numbers, limiting
to IVXLCDM and the dash the symbols - overly simplyfying it but
emphasizing all the more their need for the Roman Abacus to make
their computations.
It could have been the Roman Abacus that served as inspiration
to the Chinese Abacus, which is strictly speaking an Hexadecimal
Abacus. The Polos, the uncle and father of Marco Polo, who reached
China in 1272, must have introduced this innovation to the court of
Kublai Khan. One account of the Chinese Abacus mentioned that it
first came to notice in the 14th century which is 28 years from
1272. If the Suan Pan became widely used in the mid or late 14th
century, that was just enough time for an innovation to filter
below from the top, if we are to remember that the Hindu numeration
the Arabs brought to Europe via Spain and Italy took several
hundred years, from the time Leonardo of Pisa first mentioned it in
his book in 1202.
The Filipino Abacus referred to in an earlier note and twisted
to sound as if a Filipino invented the abacus, referred to a
nine-beaded color-coded by period decimal Filipino Abacus.
Asked in Mobile Phones, Inventions, Electronics Engineering, Wireless Communication
Who invented the cell phone and when?

Martin Cooper invented the cell (mobile) phone. He was the first
one to make a call and speak on his moble phone.
Mr Cooper, born December 26, 1928, wanted people to be able to
carry their phones with them anywhere. While he was a project
manager at Motorola in 1973, Cooper set up a base station in New
York with the first working prototype of a cellular telephone, the
Motorola Dyna-Tac. After some initial testing in Washington for the
F.C.C., Mr. Cooper and Motorola took the phone technology to New
York to show the public.
The First Cellphone (1973)
Name: Motorola Dyna-Tac
Size: 9 x 5 x 1.75 inches
Weight: 2.5 pounds
Display: None
Number of Circuit Boards: 30
Talk time: 35 minutes
Recharge Time: 10 hours
Features: Talk, listen, dial
See related links for further information on Martin Cooper and
his invention.
The idea of the cell phone began in the 1920's with police radios,
but it wasn't until 1947 that the first one was made by Bell labs.
In 1974 Dr. Martin Cooper is given credit for the cell phone that
is most like the ones we have today. He was working for Motorola at
the time. The phone was only for government use and in 1984 it was
sold to the public for the first time. The early cell phones were
large, heavy, and copied land line phones in style. They were
carried in a zippered bag with the whole bottom as the
battery.
The cell phone was first thought of in the 1920's when the use of
police radios began. In 1947 Bell Labs made the first cell phone,
but it took Dr. Cooper of Motorola to make a cell phone in 1974 for
the government. The public use of cell phones began in 1984.
Your question has two friendus. The phone was invented in 1889 by
Bell. The cell phone idea began in the 1930's, but in 1947 Bell
Labs made a cell type phone. The first cell phone inventor id given
to Dr. Martin Cooper of Motorola in 1974. This phone was sold to
the government. The public did not get it until 1984.
It was made by Bell labs in 1947, but the man given the most credit
for it is Dr. Martin Cooper who made one very much like what we
have today in 1973.
We knew someday everybody would have one. Martin Cooper
created the "DynaTAC," the first commercial cell phone, which hit
the market in 1983. (CNN) -- In 1973, Martin Cooper changed
the world, although he didn't know it yet. With the invention there
was concern regarding brain cancer due to the fact that cell phones
send out high frequency of radio waves.
It was invented by Will Maacmillan in 1969
Doctor Martin Cooper invented the modern cell phone. He invented
the technology responsible for the cell phone when was the Director
of Research and Development at Motorola. Cooper is also known as
the first person to make a call on a cell phone. His groundbreaking
call took place in April of 1973 in New York. He is currently the
CEO of an antenna corporation.
Asked in Inventions, Submarines
Who invented the submarine?

Submarines were envisioned long ago as an undersea weapon to be
used against surface ships, but technology could not deliver one
for practical naval warfare for hundreds of years following their
ideation.
Though modern historians credit the submarine's invention to one
individual, it's not quite that cut and dry. As it is probable that
the earliest sailors wondered what it might be like to sail
beneath the sea, it might be best to say that the
submarine appeared as the result of a journey of many technological
and scientific steps over hundreds of years. The creation of a
pressure hull of sorts had to be coupled with solutions to problems
associated with buoyancy as well as water pressure. All this had to
be merged with weapons, crew facilities, and the critical issue of
suitable propulsion, air, ballast control, etc. Imagine trying to
build a fully functioning submarine with the tools of a
blacksmith.
While there were many who contributed to submarine development
over the centuries, there are several key individuals who are
responsible for advancing submarine design, development, and
engineering over the course of several hundred years, ultimately
leading to the technologically advanced submarines we have
today:
Leonardo da Vinci
Cornelius Jacobszoon Drebbel
William Bourne
David Bushnell
Robert Fulton
Horace Hunley
John P. Holland
Hyman G. Rickover
Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo da Vinci conceptualized the submarine,
and it is possible (probable) that others could have thought of the
idea of an undersea vehicle, but the technology to put a working
model in the water and safely and effectively operate it didn't
come along for over a century following Leonardo.
William Bourne /
Cornelius Jacobszoon Drebbel
Historians credit the invention of the submarine to
William Bourne, a British mathematician and
ex-Royal Navy gunner who published a design in 1578. The first
navigable submarine for which reliable construction data exists was
built from Bourne's design in 1620 by Cornelius Jacobszoon
Drebbel, a Dutch inventor in the employ of King James I of
England.
David Bushnell's Turtle
David Bushnell's submarine
Turtle, designed by Bushnell and built in
Old Saybrook, Connecticut in 1775, was so named
because it looked like a turtle due to its shape. It was manually
powered, constructed of wood, heavily covered in pitch and
reinforced with metal bands. Though it is considered the first
submarine used in combat (Revolutionary War) its attacks on British
warships were never successful. This was due in large part because
it didn't have a way to penetrate the copper cladding around the
lower part of British warship hulls. It was sunk by the British
while attached to its tender.
Robert Fulton's Nautilus
Robert Fulton's submarine
Nautilus, designed between
1793-97, was the first practical working submarine
design of record. It had a working ballast system, successfully
dove to 25 feet and returned to the surface without any deaths, and
successfully attacked stationary targets.
Living in France at the time, Fulton petitioned the French
Government twice to fund his project, but was rejected. He later
approached the French Minister of Marine to subsidize the
construction, and was finally given permission in 1800. Though it
had initially impressed the French during trials, the Nautilus
suffered from leaks, which is the primary reason Fulton gave up.
When Napoleon wanted to see it, he found that Fulton had already
dismantled the Nautilus and destroyed many of its key components.
Napoleon thought that Fulton was a charlatan, and the French Navy
had no use for what they believed then to be a suicidal
machine.
Even though Fulton's project didn't continue, the British,
wanting to keep control over what appeared to them to be a
potentially lethal device, brought Fulton to Britain to continue
his submarine work. However, with Nelson's victory over the French
fleet at the Battle of Trafalgar, the French threat was eliminated,
and Fulton was ignored until he finally left to return to America.
His papers were left at the U.S. Consul in London, and went
undiscovered until 1920. He never again worked on submarine
designs, though his contributions to submarine development are
still remembered and honored today.
Horace L. Hunley & the H.L. Hunley
Submarine
While its place in submarine evolution is small, her place in
changing Naval Warfare history forever is significant. The first
submarine to successfully sink an enemy combatant, the
H.L. Hunley, was commandeered by the
Confederate States' Army from its inventor, Confederate Marine
Engineer Horace Lawson Hunley, and his business
partners.
Built specifically as a submarine by Hunley, it incorporated a
hand-cranked screw (7 crewmen) for propulsion, 2 watertight
hatches, 2 conning towers (fore and aft), and a working ballast
system. Her spar torpedo (essentially a long pole with a
remote-detonated explosive charge on the end) was designed to
pierce wooden ships with the charge, then back away and detonate it
from a safe distance using an attached wire.
It was successfully used to attack and sink the Union
sloop-of-war USS
Housatonic on February 17,
1864, then anchored in Charleston Harbor, during
the the Civil War Union blockade of Charleston, S.C. Often
incorrectly referred to as the CSS Hunley, it in fact was never a
commissioned warship in the Confederate States of America. It was
commandeered by the Confederate Army, crewed by 1 Confederate
sailor and 8 Confederate Army soldiers.
Though the Hunley was thought to have been sunk by the explosion
of the attack, investigation of historical records showed that she
had signaled her base on Sullivan's Island with a blue carbide lamp
that her attack was successful, and that she was returning to base.
New forensic evidence uncovered after the recovery of the Hunley
several years ago revealed that her crew likely died of
asphyxiation due to lack of oxygen, while returning to Sullivan's
Island. One key factor is that the crew remains were found at their
posts, rather than grouped near an exit, which would be the natural
response to sinking.
Had they successfully returned from her mission, it is likely
that submarine engineering and evolution would've advanced a lot
faster than it did.
John Phillip Holland & the Diesel-Electric
Submarine
The "better" submarine design, over 30 years after the Hunley's
sinking, incorporated internal combustion engines, electric motors,
generators, and battery technology. John Phillip Holland's
USS Holland
(SS-1), the U.S. Navy's first commissioned
submarine (launched in May 1897, commissioned in 1900), was the
first real effective submarine design. Incorporating rechargeable
battery technology and combustion engines for surface
transit/battery charging, the Holland is
considered the forerunner of all modern submarines.
Holland was also the first to apply for and receive patents on
key submarine technology, much of which is essentially the same
today, though more advanced in some areas. The company founded to
build submarines to his designs, Electric Boat, still survives as
one of the United States' premier submarine builders, General
Dynamics' Electric Boat Division, in Groton, CT.
Hyman G. Rickover, Nuclear Power, and
the Nautilus
Not until the advent of Nuclear Power and the vision of Naval
Engineer Hyman G. Rickover (Admiral Rickover,
"Father of the Nuclear Navy"), did submarines become true
submersibles.
Until that time, submarines were essentially designed as surface
vessels that had a limited submerged operational capability, and
were designed to run faster on the surface than underwater.
Captured U-boats after WWII showed how far the Germans had advanced
the art of submarine hull design and technology; while many of
these innovations found their way into modern submarines, it was
Rickover who realized that harnessing a nuclear reactor in a small
design used to power submarines (and later ships) would give
submarine warfare a significant technological boost. Unlike
diesel-electric technology, nuclear power offers the advantage of
huge power generation, which means better equipment (sensors,
weapons, navigation, huge fresh water / air generating capacity,
etc.), underwater speed (a major departure from previous designs)
and virtually unlimited cruising range.
With Rickover's successful pressurized-water reactor design
(still in use today) installed on the United States' (and the
world's) first nuclear powered submarine, USS
Nautilus (SSN-571), nuclear power changed
submarine technology and warfare from the limited role that it had
in previous conflicts to the multiple mission threat it is
today.
The application of Nuclear Power "sealed the deal" and allowed
for the development of the highly capable and extremely complex
modern submarine. Modern boats are only limited by her crew
requirements, can dive deeper and move much faster underwater than
on the surface, and have many different tactical capabilities. They
are true submarines by every definition.
Asked in Inventions, Atomic Bombs
Who invented atomic bombs?

Leo Szilard, a Hungarian Jew living in London at the time, in
1933. He patented it in 1934, the patent
GB630726 was granted in 1936 and
immediately classified to prevent Nazi Germany from using it. It
took 12 more years before the US was able to build the first ones,
after an enormous investment in industrial infrastructure.
Szilard's patent was not made public until 1949. During WW2 this
was done under the Manhattan Project. There was a large team of
scientists, the chief one was Dr Robert Oppenheimer.
Professor Rudolph Peierls and Otto Frisch were also
involved.
The atomic bomb was originally invented in 1940 by German
scientists, Professor Rudolph Peierls and Otto Frisch who were both
working for Britain at the time.
During World War II, the United States, with the assistance
(collaboration) of physicists, mathematicians, and engineers from
the U.S., Britain, Canada and Europe, completed the Manhattan
Project to produce the first atomic bomb.
(The project started as the "Manhattan District Engineers" and
only became "The Manhattan Project" some time later).
There was some early speculation about the possibility of what
could be done if a nuclear chain reaction was unleashed in a way
that would allow it to build without control. For a roll call,
consider that Robert Oppenheimer was the head of "science" for the
Manhattan Project, and (in alphabetical order) Felix Block, David
Bohm, Niels Bohr, Enrico Fermi, James Franck, Otto Frisch, Klaus
Fuchs, Rudolf Peierls, Emilio Segre, Leo Szilard, Edward Teller and
Eugene Wigner all played crucial roles in getting the weapon
designed and built.
The physicist Albert Einstein did not participate directly in
the invention of the atomic bomb-but was instrumental in
facilitating its development. His Special Theory of Relativity
emphasized that a large amount of energy could be released from a
small amount of matter. This was expressed by the equation E=mc2
(energy = mass times the speed of light squared). The atomic bomb
would clearly illustrate this principle.
The first demonstration of "the gadget" (the code name for the
first atomic bomb) was at Trinity site in Alamogordo, New Mexico,
and it proved that the weapon would detonate and that the chain
would build as predicted. The second and third demonstrations were
conducted in Japan, which brought a quick end to the Second World
War. Just up to and during World War 2, Germany was also working to
develop atomic weapons, but was hampered by many technical and
political problems (including sabotage and Allied bombings) which
prevented their successfully completing their work. This left the
U.S. as the only nation to ever unleash nuclear weapons in an
attack.
The first fission weapons, also known as "atomic bombs," were
developed jointly by the United States, Britain and Canada during
World War II in what was called the Manhattan Project.
(Wikipedia)
Leo Szilard invented the atomic bomb in 1933 while crossing a
London street. He patented it in 1934. (British patent 630,726)
The Manhattan Project built the first one in 1945.
Robert oppenheimer
the united states made the atomic bomb
Asked in Inventions, Telephones
Who invented the telephone?

Alexander Graham Bell, a Scottish-born inventor,
scientist, philanthropist and teacher of the deaf is the person
most widely credited as the inventor of the electric telephone. On
March 7th 1876 he became the first to receive a patent for this
device, and at that time resided in Salem, Massachusetts.
Alexander Graham Bell conceived of the telephone at his summer
home in Brantford, Ontario and physically created his first phone
in Boston, Massachusetts (where, he said, it was 'born').
This was a result of his research into improving the telegraph
system. Bell was experimenting into improving the telegraph system
so that multiple messages could be sent at the same time (his
theory of the 'harmonic telegraph' was based on the
principle that several messages could be sent simultaneously along
the same wire if the different telegraph signals each had a
different pitch). However at the same time he began working on the
novel idea that speech could be transmitted electronically, as he
accidentally discovered that the sound of a spring being twanged
could be heard over his harmonic telegraph system. Almost a year
later in March 1876 Bell uttered the first famous words into the
device to his assistant in the next room: "Mr. Watson, come here
-I want to see you".
A young black man, Lewis Lattimer, was employed as a draftsman
by the patent law firm that Alexander Graham Bell used, and
contributed to Bell's patent drawings. Lattimer become a successful
inventor in his own right.
As with many other important technological devices, several
people often worked on and independently created the same, or
similar devices in the same general time period -an example being
the modern navigational quadrant or sextant. While Bell was the
first to receive a patent for the telephone, several others
preceded his research and credit for inventing the electric
telephone remains in dispute.
Despite the claims of those defending Alexander Graham Bell, its
been suggested that both Antonio Meucci and then Elisha Gray
successfully invented telephones in the United States before
Alexander Graham Bell did in 1876. Some of the others who
performed pioneering experimental work with electrical voice
transmissions over wires included Thomas Edison, Innocenzo
Manzetti, Charles Bourseul and Johann Philipp Reis.
Ironically in 2001 the United States Congress passed a
'resolution' stating that given all the facts of the patent
disputes between Gray and Bell, under no terms could Alexander
Graham Bell have been awarded the patent for the telephone by the
United States Patent and Trademark Office in 1876. However that
Congressional resolution by itself served only as a declaration,
and did not annul or modify the patent Bell received in 1876. The
2001 resolution was also subsequently followed by another
legislative declaration upholding Bell's priority and his status as
inventor of the telephone.
The person who first successfully 'patented' the
telephone was indisputably Alexander Graham Bell, however given
what we currently know, earlier inventors of
'telephone-like' devices may have been Meucci or even
others before him.
Interestingly, the commercialization of Alexander Graham Bell's
telephone was actually performed by several independent businesses
which eventually created the 'Bell System' (and later
AT&T), to which 'Alec', as he preferred to be called,
participated very little in. Alexander Graham Bell, who went on to
become an eminent scientist, inventor and humanitarian, considered
the telephone to be an intrusion into his real work and refused to
have one in his study.
Differing Opinions
According to an article in the UK Guardian in 2002, Bell did NOT
invent the telephone. The article claims that Italian-American
Antonio Meucci is the true father of modern communications. See the
Related Link section below to read the complete article.
Alexander Graham Bell invented the modern telephone after years of
working with the deaf. His studies in sound led to a contract to
develop an "acoustic telegraph" and his first working model used a
liquid transmitter that was later discarded. Thomas Edison made
some improvements over the telephone that improved the clarity of
the sound, most notably the carbon microphone.
graham bell
Alexander Graham Bell
Alexander Graham Bell patented a telephone in March, 1876. Others
had experimented with the transmission of speech over wires since
the invention of the telegraph.
Bell used a vibrating diaphragm (microphone) to control the flow
of electricity through a wire, such that when the electric flow
reached a coil at the other end of the phone line, the coil
vibrated another diaphragm (the speaker) in exactly the same
pattern. This was efficient within the frequencies of human speech,
and later, more precise microphones were able to recreate
recognizable voices.
Alexander Graham Bell is considered the inventor of the telephone
in the USA, Canada, and Scotland,
other countries that had no historical affiliation with him tend
to look for possible inventors of their own ethnic background or
their own country as THE inventor of the telephone
Alexander Graham Bell. :-)
He invented the telephone trying to improve hearing conditions and
limitations of
Blind people such as his mother.
Hope I helped! ~WonX~
Alexander Graham Bell
Alexander bell
Alexander Graham Bell
It was Alexander Graham Bell on March 10, 1876.
I think you mean
"INVENTED".
Graham Bell
This is the person who invended the telephone Alexandrew Bell
Alexander Graham Bell was the inventor of the telephone
Alexander Graham Bell
Grahambel
Asked in Inventions, NASCAR
Who is the inventor of NASCAR?

The person who started NASCAR was Bill France. It was actually
first called The National Championship Stock Car Circuit when it
was formed in December 1947. Later that year it became known as The
National Association for Stock Car Automobile Racing, Aand is now
known as the National Association ffor Stock Car Auto Racing.
Asked in Entertainment & Arts, Inventions, Amusement Parks
What date was the Merry-Go-Round invented?

The first example of the Merry-Go-Round, or Carousel was in
Paris in 1605. They were developed in Italy though. These usually
took place in squares or large courtyards, and consisted of
elaborately costumed riders and horses (usually from the cavalry)
performing choreographed routines such as forming shapes together,
riding in lines criss-cross against each other. They often took
place at night, with riders carrying torches, and were accompanied
by music. for more info go here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merry_go_round
The fairground machine called a Merry-go-Round or (in America)
Carousel was developed in the 19C when practical power-units made
them viable. Merry-Go-Round is generally the public's, not trade's,
name.
In the UK fair trade at least, they were and are known
generically as "rides", and more specifically by a descriptive or
trade-name. The traditional ride with horse and cockerel
"sculptures" as seats arranged to rise and fall as the machine
rotates, is called a "Galloper".
Initially they were driven by a small steam "centre-engine" on
the truck that forms the machine's base on the fairground, and the
transport trailer for travelling between fairs. Later rides became
powered electrically, from a generator first on the steam
"Showman's Road Locomotive" (large, powerful traction-engine) that
towed the ride from town to town; then on lorries that performed,
and still perform, the same duty.
Typically they were fitted with a "self-playing" organ - using
mechanical perforated-card readers to control the stops and notes -
for the role now taken by the disco sound-system on modern rides.
However the name "steam organ" for these instruments is a complete
misnomer, for although they may have been powered by an auxiliary
steam-engine the pipes always used only air.
British rides always run from right to left as you watch them.
American (& I think Continental European) rides traditionally
go from left to right.
Asked in Inventions, Office Supplies
How were pens invented?

Originally, it is surmised that people used plants to write
with... long thin leaves or stems, and that eventually led, through
innumerable technological breakthroughs, to the pen. Ancient
Egyptians are the first people we know of to use this
innovation.
Please see the related links for more information.
Originally, it is surmised that people used plants to write with...
long thin leaves or stems, and that eventually led, through
innumerable technological breakthroughs, to the pen. Ancient
Egyptians are the first people we know of to use this
innovation.
Please see the related links for more information.
Asked in Inventions, Internet, History of the Web
What is some information about the invention of the internet?

Invention of the Internet
Many people think that the Internet is a recent innovation, when in
fact the fundamental ideas behind the Internet have been around for
over a quarter century.
The development of what we now call the Internet started in 1957
when the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, the first satellite,
beating the United States into space. The powers behind the
American military at the time became highly alarmed as this meant
that the USSR could theoretically launch bombs into space, and then
drop them anywhere on earth. In 1958 the concerns of people in the
US military triggered the creation of the Defence Advanced Research
Projects Agency (DARPA).
DARPA's initial role was to jump start American research in
technology, find safeguards against a space-based missile attack
and to reclaim the technological lead from the USSR. After only 18
months after the creation of DARPA, the Defence Advanced Research
Projects Agency had developed and deployed the first US satellite.
DARPA went on to have a direct contribution to the development of
the Internet by appointing Joseph Licklider to head the new
Information Processing Techniques Office (IPTO).
It was the job of the IPTO to further the work previously done
by members of the "SAGE" (Semi-Automatic Ground Environment)
program and develop technologies to protect the US against a
space-based nuclear attack.
Licklider envisaged the potential benefits of a countrywide
communications network, influencing his successors to implement his
vision and to hire Lawrence Roberts who at that time was carrying
out research with networks which was also being funded by
DARPA.
Roberts led development of the ARPANet network architecture, and
based it on the new idea of packet switching. A special computer
called an Interface Message Processor was developed to realise the
design. The ARPANet first went live in October 1969, with
communications between the University of California in Los Angeles
and the Stanford Research Institute.
The first networking protocol used on the ARPANet was the
Network Control Program. In 1983, it was replaced with the TCP/IP
protocol, which is still the standard used today.
In 1990, the National Science Foundation took over management of
what was then called the NSFNet, and significantly expanded its
reach by connecting it to the CSNET in Universities throughout
North America, and later to the EUnet throughout research
facilities in Europe.
Thanks in large part to the NSF's free-thinking management, and
the growing popularity of the web, the nature of the Internet
changed quickly in 1992, when the U.S. government began pulling out
of network management and commercial entities offered Internet
access to the general public for the first time. This change marked
the beginning of the Internet's astonishing expansion. According to
a survey conducted by CommerceNet and Nielsen Media Research in
1997, the number of users worldwide was believed to be well into
the tens of millions. The so called Internet explosion coincided
with the advent of increasingly powerful yet reasonably priced
personal computers with easy-to-use GUI's (Graphical User
Interfaces). The result was an attraction of recent computer
converts to the Internet, and new multimedia capabilities, the
size, scope and design of which allows users to:
connect easily through ordinary personal computers
exchange electronic mail with friends and colleagues
post and update frequently, information for others to
access
access multimedia information that includes sound, photographic
images and video
access diverse attitudes and perspectives from around the
world
to directly and transparently communicate between
computers
Today, the Internet is not owned or funded by any one
institution, organisation, or government, it is a self-sustaining
widespread information infrastructure accessible to hundreds of
millions of people world-wide. The Internet is, however, directed
by the Internet Society (ISOC), which is composed of volunteers.
ISOC appoints the IAB (Internet Architecture Board) sub-council,
the appointed members of which decide on standards, network
resources, and network addresses. The day-to-day issues of Internet
operation is taken care by of curtsy of a volunteer group called
the IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force).
In brief a small number of governing boards work to establish
common standards, few rules or single organisation bind the
Internet, essentially the Internet is in the most part an
ungoverned global network of networks.
Other s
The Internet was invented by the US Department of Defence as a
means of communication if we were attacked by Russia. That was in
1969. The WWW on the other hand was invented by an Englishman
called Tim Berners-Lee in Switzerland in 1989. The Internet dates
back to the 1950s and 60s, although few of us knew of it then as it
was part of the American defence system.
Some say development started in 1957 when the Soviet Union
launched Sputnik 1, the first satellite.
I think it's the difference between pop culture and invention
that confuses people. The origins of the Internet stretch back to
the 1950s and the invention of the World Wide Web to 1989, but the
Internet IS a newish innovation as far as pop culture is concerned
as it only really kicked into the lives of the vast majority of us
after the 1989 invention of WWW.
DARPA was created in 1958. But this only started the research
that led to create the Internet. The Network Control Protocol (NCP)
was finalized and deployed in December 1970 by the Network Working
Group (NWG), led by Steve Crocker. But it was not until RFC 768
"User Datagram Protocol", RFC 791 "Internet Protocol", RFC 792
"Internet Control Message Protocol, RFC 793 "Transmission Control
Protocol" were ratified in 1980 and 1981 that the Internet took
shape. Modern protocols like e-mail, ftp, telnet, http ... all
depend on these underlying protocols. The ARPANET host protocol was
switched from NCP to TCP/IP as of January 1, 1983. The underlying
protocols that run the Internet have fundamentally changed since
this date. Much later on Mar. 11, 1999 Al Gore claims to have
invented the Internet: "During my service in the United States
Congress, I took the initiative in creating the Internet."
References: http://www.isoc.org/internet/history/brief.shtml
The seed of what would become the internet was created by
ARPANET in 1969. It was basically a group of researchers working
for the Department of Defense.
Asked in Inventions, Albert Einstein
What did Albert Einstein invent?

Einstein was best known as a theoretical physicist, but working
in a patent office in Germany, he also became a less well known
inventor. In physics, Albert Einstein is responsible for developing
his Special and General Theories of Relativity (E=Mc2), and he did
some important work on the photoelectric effect.
He co-invented a type of refrigerator with no moving parts;
patent number 1781541. An electromagnetic pump; patent number
GB303065, a self adjusting camera; patent number US2058562, and a
sound replication device; patent number DE590783. Along with dozens
of other patents worldwide.
Its no that he had invented anything really, because he is a
physcist, but he had come up with E=mc squared. And the relevance
between light and its reflection.
Asked in Inventions, Refrigerators
Who invented the refrigerator?

Various mechanical refrigeration devices appeared over the
years.
The first known artificial Refrigeration was demonstrated by
William Cullen at the University of Glasgow in 1748, and relied on
the process explained by Michael Faraday, but it was not practical.
It was big, bulky and took up too much room.
An American inventor named Oliver Evans invented a refrigerator
in 1804. In 1834, Jacob Perkins invented the "Practical Version"
that was a big hit.
Dr John Gorrie, a Scot, received a patent in 1851 for an
ice-making machine.
Carl Paul Gottfried von Linde (1842-1934) developed
refrigeration in Germany in 1876 . He set up a commercial company
in 1879.
While the process of the invention of refrigeration actually
began as early as the 1700s and many appliances got their start
from those early ideas, the idea of the home refrigerator was
started by a Frenchman named Marcel Audiffren. His idea and patents
were puchased by the American Audiffren Refrigerating Machines
Company and units were built in Fort Wayne Indiana by General
Electric. They were the precursors to the Frigidaire. The first
unit was sold in 1911 for about $1000.00.
(see the related link below)
Asked in Inventions, Football - Soccer, Alphabet History, English Alphabet History
In what country was footballl invented?

The first mention of anything like football comes from China in
the 2nd and 3rd century BC. A military training exercise involved
kicking a ball through a target, whilst being attacked by
opponents. Something similar also existed in Japan. The first game
of this type was played in ancient Greece and Rome, but this was
really more like violent dodgeball.
The game closest to the modern game developed in Britain over
the last 1500 years or so. Its origins are unclear (some say it's
Anglo-Saxon, some say it is Celtic), however by the time of Norman
conquest in 1066 it was well established. There were hundreds of
different variations of the game depending on where in the country
you went to. They all had the same basis though; get a ball to the
opposition 'goal'. An example of this was played between
neighbouring villages. The two villages would meet half way between
to start the contest. The objective was to get the ball to the
oppositions church by whatever means necessary (except murder,
etc.). As the contests tended to be very violent, successive laws
and decrees were passed over the centuries, to try and limit
playing. Fortunately they were unsuccessful.
By the 1800's the games were getting a lot more organised,
especially at the universities and big schools. Rules and scoring
were beginning to be developed and the 'field' reduced to an
appropriate size (i.e. an actual field). This is when the splits
started to happen and differences over what the rules should be
emerged. In 1863 a meeting was held between the big London clubs
and schools to once and for decide upon the rules. Unfortunately,
they couldn't. Some schools, such as Rugby and Cheltenham,
preferred the more physical game in which handling the ball was
allowed (a feat introduced by a student by the name of Web Ellis in
1823), others such as Eton and Harrow, rejected this prefering the
more skillful game involving dribbling the ball with the feet. The
split was irrevokable. It was decided that handling of the ball
could not be allowed (neither could wrestling an opponent, shin
kicking, etc). And so the English Football Association was founded
and the rules for association football laid down. Eight years later
the worlds first competition, the FA cup was started and shortly
afterwards the first international between England and Scotland. In
Paris in 1904 FIFA was founded - the Federation Internationale de
Football Association - association football (or soccer's) World
governing body. Football (soccer) is now the worlds biggest sport
(bigger than most of the others combined)