Buzz
Our daily lives are filled with an array of objects, many of which we come across on a regular basis. While these items might seem ordinary, they often have surprising, and sometimes far more fascinating, origins. Many of them were initially designed for purposes entirely different from how we use them today.
10. Vibrators
The vibrator is a device that nearly every woman possesses, though many may not openly acknowledge it. Surprisingly, it wasn’t originally created for its current purpose. Instead, it was developed by physicians as a tool to 'massage' women suffering from 'hysteria,' a condition now understood as sexual frustration. The symptoms of hysteria included ongoing anxiety, sleeplessness, nervousness, irritability, and a heavy feeling in the abdomen.
In the past, women suffering from hysteria would often visit a doctor who performed a 'pelvic massage' until they experienced a 'hysterical paroxysm.' (Hopefully, you know what that means.) Given the nature of this 'treatment,' it’s no surprise that up to 75 percent of women suffered from hysteria and visited their doctors frequently. Eventually, doctors grew tired of the process and created the vibrator to perform the procedure for them. Since vibrators were considered medical devices, they were kept in hospitals and operated by medical professionals. Over time, these devices became smaller and transitioned from 'hysteria-curing' tools to… well, you know.
9. Ties
The exact origins of the first tie are debated. It may have been the 'trajanuscollony,' a cloth worn around the neck to protect against the cold and also serve as a handkerchief. Alternatively, it could be the piece of cloth worn by Croatian soldiers during the Thirty Years War to help identify each other on the battlefield and to keep their shirt collars in place.
After the war, French soldiers brought the tie to France, where it was embraced by the wealthy elite. Initially, it was considered part of men's formal attire but gained popularity among women in the 1920s and 1930s when actresses began wearing them. The modern tie, as we know it, took shape in 1924 when Jesse Langsdorf patented the method used to create most of today's ties.
8. Pillows
Pillows were originally created to prevent bugs from crawling into people's noses, ears, and mouths while they slept. The earliest pillows, carved from stone, were used over 9,000 years ago in what is now Iraq. The Ancient Egyptians also used pillows to protect their heads, which they considered the most vital part of the body. The Ancient Chinese, although capable of making softer pillows, preferred hard ones, believing that soft pillows drained the body’s energy and were ineffective at warding off demons.
In Africa, it was believed that sleeping with a pillow connected the sleeper with their ancestors and invited spirits to visit them in their dreams. Japanese geishas used small, hard pillows to preserve their intricate hairstyles while they slept. In Europe, however, pillows were seen as a sign of weakness, and men rarely used them. In fact, King Henry VIII banned pillows for everyone except pregnant women. Pillows only became softer and more common during the Industrial Revolution when they were mass-produced by textile manufacturers.
7. Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola was created by John Pemberton, a pharmacist and a US Civil War veteran who had been wounded in the Battle of Columbus. Like many soldiers of that time, Pemberton turned to morphine to alleviate the pain from his injuries, and, as was common with other injured soldiers, he became addicted to it. The widespread morphine addiction after the Civil War was so severe that it came to be known as 'the army's disease.'
In an effort to find a cure for his addiction, Pemberton developed a drink called 'Pemberton's French Wine Coca,' which was a blend of alcoholic wine, coca plant (the source of cocaine), and cola nut. This drink resembled another beverage known as 'Vin Mariani,' a combination of wine and cocaine, both intended to treat morphine addiction.
In 1886, John Pemberton removed the alcohol from his French Wine Coca due to new local laws restricting alcohol sales. He began selling the new, non-alcoholic drink made from cane sugar, coca leaves, and cola nut as a medicinal remedy for morphine addiction. He founded a company to produce the drink but later sold his shares. The new owners experimented with various names, including 'Koke' and 'Yum Yum,' before ultimately choosing the name Coca-Cola.
6. Bubble Wrap
Bubble wrap is a nylon-like polymer filled with air pockets that nearly everyone, or at least most people, enjoys popping. The satisfying sound it makes when pressed is undeniably pleasing. Today, it’s commonly used to wrap fragile items, ensuring their safety during transport. Interestingly, it has also been used in life-saving situations, such as helping those suffering from hypothermia.
Bubble wrap wasn’t originally designed for protecting goods in transit. It was invented in 1957 by Alfred Fielding and Marc Chavannes, who initially sewed two shower curtains together with the intention of creating a wallpaper featuring air bubbles. (In the 1950s and 1960s, people adorned their walls with all kinds of materials, from bamboo to fabric.) However, the wallpaper idea was a failure, leading the inventors to pivot and attempt to sell it as an insulating material for greenhouses. That, too, was unsuccessful. Eventually, a marketer named Frederick Bowers pitched bubble wrap to IBM as a protective wrapping for their IBM 1401 computers during shipping. IBM bought the idea and used bubble wrap to wrap and ship 10,000 of their computers, which ultimately changed the course of its history.
5. High Heels
The first high heels were created in the 16th century for Persian soldiers. These shoes weren’t designed with walking in mind, a fact that remains clear to this day. Their purpose was to provide cavalry soldiers with better stability, allowing them to shoot arrows more effectively while riding horses.
High heels made their way to Europe in the 1600s, where they became a symbol of status worn by the upper class. It was well known that such a shoe, which wasn’t made for walking, could only be used for walking by someone who didn’t need to work—meaning the wearer was part of the elite. Women adopted heels in an attempt to emulate men’s fashion, with men wearing thicker heels and women opting for narrower ones. Men eventually stopped wearing heels, as they no longer viewed them as a status symbol once women began wearing them too.
4. T-Shirts
The first T-shirts were created for US Navy personnel during the Spanish-American War. They were meant to be worn under standard military uniforms as undershirts. Submarine crews found them ideal as work shirts since they offered greater comfort and mobility compared to wool alternatives. The design quickly became popular with the US Army, which issued them to recruits. Because T-shirts were inexpensive and easy to wash, they soon became a staple for mothers buying them for their children as play or chore shirts.
Over time, the T-shirt evolved from being a simple undershirt for work and play into a trendy, fashionable piece of outerwear. In the 1950s, Tropix Togs pioneered the use of T-shirts in advertising by securing exclusive rights from Disney to feature images of characters like Mickey Mouse on their shirts. By the 1960s, a variety of new styles, including V-necks, A-shirts, camisoles, and polo shirts, emerged as the T-shirt's popularity continued to rise.
3. Corn Flakes
John Kellogg was adamantly opposed to masturbation, considering it an act of madness. He even suggested extreme measures for those caught in the act, such as sewing the foreskins of men or applying carbolic acid to the clitorises of women found guilty. He also believed that red meat contributed to sexual desires, which he saw as a direct path to masturbation. To counter this, he developed a cereal-based food—Corn Flakes—intended not just to fill the stomach but also to prevent people from indulging in what he viewed as a deadly vice.
He created Corn Flakes, a cereal-based meal designed more to curb sexual desires and avoid what he believed was a dangerous path to indulgence, than to serve as a mere breakfast food.
2. Listerine
Listerine, a popular mouthwash brand, had a rather unexpected start. Initially, it was created as a surgical disinfectant in the late 1800s by the Johnson brothers, who were aiming to make surgeries safer. They named it after Sir Joseph Lister, the English surgeon who inspired their work. In 1879, the brothers developed this antiseptic liquid, which was marketed not only for surgery but also for treating wounds, dandruff, athlete’s foot, and insect bites. At one point, it was even sold as a deodorant.
Later, the Johnson brothers joined forces with pharmacist Jordan Wheat Lambert, who saw the potential for Listerine as an oral antiseptic. Lambert's children were pivotal in transforming Listerine into the modern mouthwash we recognize today. They asked the company's chemist about its various uses, which included bad breath (halitosis). This discovery led the company to pivot and start advertising Listerine specifically for combating bad breath.
1. Black Dresses
The 'little black dress,' or 'LBD,' is a wardrobe essential for many women today. However, black dresses had a very different role in the past. Before the 1920s, they were primarily worn by widows, widowers, and their families to signal mourning. Men would wear dark suits, and women donned black dresses as a symbol of grief, often for up to two years. Queen Victoria famously wore black for 40 years in mourning for her husband, Prince Albert.
It wasn't until 1926 that black dresses transitioned from mourning attire to a fashion statement, thanks to Coco Chanel's creation of the short black dress, now iconic as the 'little black dress.' Known as 'Chanel’s Ford,' this dress was accessible to women of all backgrounds, much like the affordable Model T by Ford. The popularity of black dresses grew, especially with the influence of Hollywood actresses and during World War II, when they became the go-to outfit for women entering the workforce.
