Blast from the Past – Honoring Older Americans Month

May marks the celebration of Older Americans Month! The 2014 theme is “Safe Today. Healthy Tomorrow.” The purpose of Older Americans Month is to recognize the older and wiser for their contributions and provide information to help them stay healthy.  To help our readers get into the spirit, we decided it would be the perfect time for another segment of Blast from the Past!

This month we are coving the 12 greatest inventions from 1900 – 1950!

Vacuum Cleaner – 1901

The first modern vacuum cleaner was invented by Hubert Cecil Booth in 1901.

Air Conditioning – 1902

25 year old engineer Willis Carrier from Buffalo, New York invented the first modern air-conditioning system.

Powered Airplane – 1903

The first powered airplane was invented by the Wright Brothers. They were also the first group to fly! The first flight lasted for 12 seconds and a distance of 123 feet.

Plastic – 1907

Leo Hendrik Baekeland, a Belgian-born American who lived in New York, was the inventor of Bakelite. His invention of Bakelite, an inexpensive, nonflammable, and popular plastic marked the beginning of the modern plastics industry. Plastic today is a $260 billion industry and is used in a seemingly endless array of products.

Ford Model T – 1908

Henry Ford was the inventor of the first automobile that was affordable to the average American. Before the Ford Model T, cars were simply a plaything for the rich. Ford broke a record in the Model T’s first year, selling over ten thousand!

Electric Refrigerator – 1913

Preserving food has not always been easy. Centuries ago, people gathered ice from streams and ponds and did their best to store it year-round in icehouses and cellars, so they had a ready supply to keep their food cold. Fred W. Wolf found a solution in 1913 when he invented the first commercially viable electric refrigerator in the United States.

Liquid Fuel Rocket – 1926

The beginning of the Space Age took place on a farm in Auburn, Mass. Robert H. Goddard launched the world’s first liquid-fueled rocket in 1926.  This new technology would ultimately take humans into space and to the moon, and send robotic spacecraft to the edges of the solar system and beyond. Goddard’s first rocket rose only 41 feet, but in time he was developing more and more sophisticated machines that were capable of flying thousands of feet.  Goddard’s breakthroughs would become standard features on future generations of rockets.

Electronic Television – 1927

Philo Farnsworth, a Utah farm boy, is recognized as the inventor of the television. In 1927, he transmitted the first television image. The image was a dollar sign, comprised of 60 horizontal lines. Today nearly every home in America has at least one television, and the average American household spends at least eight hours a day watching it.

Kool Aid – 1927

Did you know Kool Aid was originally called “Fruit Smack” and sold in a 4-ounce bottle? It was invented by chemist Edwin Perkins of Omaha, Nebraska in 1927.

Sliced Bread – 1928

You’ve probably heard the saying “The greatest thing since Sliced Bread!” Sliced Bread was first created in 1928 by a man named Otto Frederick Rohwedder. Not only did he come up with a way to slice bread, but to keep it fresh as well. Once the approximately five-foot long and three-foot high Rohwedder Bread Slicer sliced the bread, it would also wrap it in a wax paper to keep it from going stale.

Antibiotics – 1928

The discovery of antibiotics began by accident. In September 1928, Professor Alexander Fleming discovered Penicillin – a bacteria killing substance. Penicillin was nicknamed “The Wonder Drug” after treating several bacterial infections.

Duct Tape – 1942

We all know that Duct Tape is the quick fix for anything – even boredom! It was originally invented for the US military and created by Johnson & Johnson Co in 1942.

We hope you enjoyed this month’s Blast from the Past. If you would like some tips to keep your elderly loved ones healthy, please check out our blog. There is a lot of helpful information about a range of topics for your convenience. During Older Americans Month 2014, Cariloop encourages you to learn as much as you can about senior care so that you can help the elderly be healthy today, and safe tomorrow.

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