The origin of stopwatches has been the center of many questions. Some claim the ancient Egyptians were behind this invention, which is possible considering that those were the same people that built the pyramids. However, you can't just visit ancient Egypt and ask them to show you a stopwatch. We can go back to the first known stopwatch, which was developed in 1884 by Leon Breitling.
The first stopwatches of the time were actually developed for use in aviation and were also very expensive. Despite what the intended purpose was, people wore stopwatches as a status symbol. Since this was a time before the age of electronics, these stopwatches were mechanical and most had a winding mechanism.
Many of the original stopwatches had a large face, but even though that is not comfortable to wear, it didn't stop anyone from doing so. People didn't care if it was awkward to wear or not, since they only wanted the status symbol which was expensive to purchase and therefore automatically considered good.
Now let's look at a stopwatch that has been a popular icon for the longest time. For more than fifty years the public has been enthralled by the popular show "60 Minutes". There was always a stopwatch up in the corner of the screen but did you ever think about the fact that they didn't have CGI back then? Yes, that stopwatch was real and for well over fifty years it sat there ticking away. Some would argue that it was the stopwatch that made the show so popular when it aired on September 24, 1968.
Even though the CGI stopwatch is not needed, it still wasn't thrown out like a piece of garbage. That very stopwatch that was a part of 60 Minutes for so many years now is actually on display at the Smithsonian, just like other famous TV icons like the bathrobe from Hawkeye Pierce. It is surprising for many that a little thing like a stopwatch has had such a big role in a popular TV show.
Stopwatches are still basically the same, even though they have advanced over time. They now keep track of laps, can be used to measure time for lab experiments and many other things, as well as keeping track of time in several different countries. This is a big difference to the functions of the original stopwatch that was invented, but it is still important to keep in mind the humble roots.
No matter what new inventions there are, all of them have had a long road to go down before they go to where they are now. When you are holding a stopwatch, then next time take a few moments to contemplate the history this small device has had and its role in society. You will surely come up with many more examples than just the one mentioned above.
The first stopwatches of the time were actually developed for use in aviation and were also very expensive. Despite what the intended purpose was, people wore stopwatches as a status symbol. Since this was a time before the age of electronics, these stopwatches were mechanical and most had a winding mechanism.
Many of the original stopwatches had a large face, but even though that is not comfortable to wear, it didn't stop anyone from doing so. People didn't care if it was awkward to wear or not, since they only wanted the status symbol which was expensive to purchase and therefore automatically considered good.
Now let's look at a stopwatch that has been a popular icon for the longest time. For more than fifty years the public has been enthralled by the popular show "60 Minutes". There was always a stopwatch up in the corner of the screen but did you ever think about the fact that they didn't have CGI back then? Yes, that stopwatch was real and for well over fifty years it sat there ticking away. Some would argue that it was the stopwatch that made the show so popular when it aired on September 24, 1968.
Even though the CGI stopwatch is not needed, it still wasn't thrown out like a piece of garbage. That very stopwatch that was a part of 60 Minutes for so many years now is actually on display at the Smithsonian, just like other famous TV icons like the bathrobe from Hawkeye Pierce. It is surprising for many that a little thing like a stopwatch has had such a big role in a popular TV show.
Stopwatches are still basically the same, even though they have advanced over time. They now keep track of laps, can be used to measure time for lab experiments and many other things, as well as keeping track of time in several different countries. This is a big difference to the functions of the original stopwatch that was invented, but it is still important to keep in mind the humble roots.
No matter what new inventions there are, all of them have had a long road to go down before they go to where they are now. When you are holding a stopwatch, then next time take a few moments to contemplate the history this small device has had and its role in society. You will surely come up with many more examples than just the one mentioned above.
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