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Microwave oven -

Back in 1946, you wouldn't find this common kitchen appliance anywhere, but you would find the original one, called Radarange. It was, however, as large as a fridge!

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Microwave oven -

The father of the modern microwave is American engineer Percy Spencer, who was working on radar technology after World War II. It turned out that microwaves from a radar set could emit heat, so he enclosed them inside a metal box, and the rest is history!

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Wristwatch -

The history of this portable timepiece actually goes back to the 16th century. But it was not until the end of the 19th century that wristwatches started to be used by the military.

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Wristwatch -

Though companies such as Rolex started to appear at the turn of the century, the popularity of the wristwatch only really started to grow after World War I. Today, the wristwatch is worn by billions of people worldwide.

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Sanitary pads -

A cotton shortage during World War II led Kimberly-Clark Co. to invent a new absorbing material as an alternative. After all, they needed bandages for war, so they developed a product made from wood pulp, called cellucotton.

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Sanitary pads -

Cellucotton was very absorbent, so Red Cross nurses began to use it during menstruation. After the war, they started to be sold commercially, and the rest is history.

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Drones -

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is essentially an aircraft without any humans on board, including a pilot. These are usually controlled remotely and are also known as a remotely-piloted aircraft (RPA), better known as the drone.

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Drones -

The use of drones by the military dates back to World War II. More sophisticated machines were developed over the years, and it was not until fairly recently that drones started to be operated by civilians, in both a professional and recreational capacity.

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Aerosol bug spray -

Where would we be without bug repellent, right? Probably eaten away by mosquitoes! The aerosol version was developed during World War II, specifically for soldiers stationed in the South Pacific.

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Aerosol bug spray -

In 1941 it was patented and proved to be a success. So much so that it was nicknamed “bug bomb” by soldiers! The aerosol can was then refined over the years and it's still used to this day.

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Duct tape -

Johnson & Johnson Co. were on the quest for a tape that could be strong enough for basically anything during World War II. In 1942, they developed just that!

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Duct tape -

Due to its waterproof properties, it was originally called “duck tape.” It was then used a lot to seal ductwork, hence the commercial name.

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Ray Ban aviators -

As the name indicates, this classic sunglasses model was original developed for US military pilots.

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Ray Ban aviators -

These were eventually commercialized to the public in 1937 as the brand Ray Ban (as in banning the sunrays). The model remains popular to this day.

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Super glue -

Can you imagine your life without the superpowers of super glue? The Eastman Kodak company created it while trying to come up with a product to use on plastic rifle sights.

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Super glue -

They realized its potential a few years later and started to sell it to the public in 1958. Super glue did eventually prove to be useful for the military: it was used during the Vietnam War as a spray to quickly seal open wounds.

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The undershirt -

The basic, plain white t-shirt was also developed for military purposes. Cotton undershirts were first worn by the US Navy in the early 20th century.

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The undershirt -

It goes without saying that the t-shirt became a fashion staple ever since.

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Frozen juice concentrate -

The USDA and the Florida Citrus Commission developed this product in 1943, specifically to be sent to US soldiers overseas. 

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Frozen juice concentrate -

But it was not 1946 that Minute Maid began selling it commercially. Today, orange juice is one of the most popular fruit juices in the world.

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Silly Putty -

Remember this gooey material? Well, this was actually invented in 1943 when the US was looking for a new source of rubber, after losing its supply following the Japanese invasion of Malaysia.

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Silly Putty -

This stretchy and bouncy material, however, was not quite applicable for the military, so it was eventually commercialized as a toy in 1950.

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Jeep -

The quintessential 4-wheel drive vehicle made by American Bantam Car Company was originally called General Purpose, or G.P., hence the name Jeep. The first model was manufactured in 1940.

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Jeep -

Surplus Jeeps were sold to the public after the war and proved to be a success. Shortly after, manufacturing resumed and Jeep was established in the automotive industry as a reliable rugged vehicle.

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Jerrycan -

These useful containers made of pressed steel were actually developed by the Germans in the 1930s for military use.

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Jerrycan -

Both Nazi Germany and the Allies used them during World War II, and they remained popular among civilians as robust liquid containers.

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EpiPen -

These auto-injecting syringes give the user a shot of epinephrine in case of an allergic reaction. You can imagine how useful these could be in case of chemical warfare.

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EpiPen -

EpiPen is still in use to this day, and has saved countless lives over the years.

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Freeze drying -

The process of freeze drying was developed and used during World War II to preserve medical supplies. It's still in use to this day.

Sources: (Military.com) (Mental Floss) (The Clever)

See also: Inventions that are much older than you think

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