Microwave Oven
In 1945, self taught engineer Percy Spencer from Howland, Maine was employed with the aerospace and defense manufacturing giant Raytheon, working on a radar-related research project with a new vacuum tube.
Spencer noticed that while conducting experiments on the heating effect of a high-power microwave beam, a chocolate bar he had in his pocket began to melt. He quickly deduced that this was due to the microwaves being emitted during his research.
Realizing he might be on to something, he then went on to deliberately try and ‘cook’ some popcorn. Once the popping started, it confirmed to him that he had accidentally discovered a new method for cooking/heating food.
On 8 October 1945, Raytheon filed a United States patent application for Spencer’s microwave cooking process and by 1947, the “Radarange” became the first commercially available microwave oven.
