The world is constantly evolving, and so many things make life easier today, such as cars, cellphones, and computers. However, have you ever wondered what these things looked like when they first made their debut to the world? Things from the past don’t look quite the same as they do today, and if you want to know what the very first McDonald’s or bikini looked like, keep reading. Here are some interesting photographs of the world’s very first things.
THE FIRST BOTTLE OF COCA-COLA SOLD PUBLICLY, 1894
Coca-Cola was created by a pharmacist from Atlanta in 1886, and the world hasn’t been the same ever since. Today, coke and diet coke are the two most popular sodas sold in the United States. Interestingly, this bottle has written directions on it of how to pour yourself a glass. Today it’s a famous soft drink, but back then, this bottle just contained syrup.
THE FIRST PHOTOGRAPH OF LIGHTENING, 1886
This picture of lightening was photographed for the first time in 1886. They say that lightening never strikes the same place twice, so luckily for William Jennings, he was able to capture the very first ever lightening strike on camera. This photo was taken in Philadelphia from his rooftop.
THE FIRST MCDONALD’S, SAN BERNADINO, 1940
The very first McDonald’s restaurant opened in 1940 in San Bernardino, California by two brothers. Their concept was to produce large quantities of food very quickly for a low price. Today, McDonald’s is one of the largest fast-food companies in America and serves an average of 69 million customers every day.
THE FIRST SUCCESSFUL VITALLIUM DENTAL SCREW IMPLANT
implant
The first successful dental implant that was inserted into a human was performed by Dr. Alan Strock in 1937. Back then it was a struggle to create a material that wouldn’t be rejected by the body, so the same material used in hip bone implants was used for tooth implants. Today, titanium is widely used and dental implants are the go-to solution for missing teeth.
THE WORLD’S FIRST PHOTOGRAPH EVER TAKEN FROM A CAMERA, 1826
This is an image of the world’s first known photograph ever taken. Even though there isn’t much to see here, it’s still pretty awesome. This photo was taken from an upstairs window by Joseph Nicephore Niepce in 1826. There are no duplicates of this photo and it’s now a part of a collection at the University of Texas.
THE WORLD’S FIRST COMPUTER MOUSE, 1964
Today’s computer mouse looks remarkably different than this wooden and bulky contraption. The world’s first computer mouse was actually called an “x-y position indicator. ” It was made by Douglas Engelbart in 1964, and he spent several years developing this computer mouse before debuting it to the world in 1968.
THE FIRST EVER PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGE TO BE PUT ON THE INTERNET, 1992
Can you believe that there once was a time where selfies weren’t a thing, Facebook and Instagram didn’t exist, and uploading pictures on the internet just didn’t happen. Well, it was in 1992 when this photograph of four women was uploaded on the internet. It was uploaded by Burners Lee who invented the World Wide Web.
THE FIRST TIME BARBIE MADE ITS DEBUT IN A TOY STORE, 1959
In 1959, the first ever Barbie doll went on display at the American Toy Fair in New York City. Barbie is an iconic doll recognized all over the world and was the first mass-produced doll in the United States. Ruth Handler is the woman behind Barbie and she named the doll after her daughter, Barbara.
THE FIRST BIKINI MODEL, 1946
This is what the first bikini in history looked like. Unveiling the bikini was not an easy task because it was difficult to find a woman to model the revealing bathing suit at the time. However, Micheline Bernardini became the very first bikini model to strut her stuff at a swimming pool in Paris.
THE FIRST COMMERCIAL CAR PHONE CALL, 1946
The modernization of today’s technology should definitely put this photo into some perspective. In today’s world, we now have cell phones installed on our wrist watches, and have cell service pretty much everywhere. In 1946, the first mobile phone installed in cars weighed 80 pounds and only worked in big cities. The equipment even took up most of the trunk.
THE WORLD’S FIRST SKYSCRAPER IN CHICAGO, 1885
The world’s first skyscraper was built in Chicago in 1885 and was designed by William Le Baron Jenney. It was Chicago’s Home Insurance Building and was 10 stories high, about 138 feet. The building was so large at the time that city officials halted its construction due to safety concerns. It was demolished in 1931.
THE FIRST PORTRAIT OF A WOMAN IN THE UNITED STATES
This is a photograph of Dorothy Catherine Draper. Her portrait was taken by her brother in either 1839 or 1840 at photo studio in New York. It is believed to be the first portrait made in America, as well as the earliest surviving photograph of a woman.
THE WORLD’S FIRST CROSSWORD PUZZLE, 1913
The first published cross-word puzzle was created by a man named Arthur Wynne. On December 21, 1913 it debuted for the first time in the New York World Sunday newspaper. The current cross-word puzzle looks a bit different today, however, it has become a world craze and a favorite past time of many people. Go ahead and give this one a try!
