Who invented the cotton gin? – Eli Whitney
Electricity? – Benjamin Franklin
The Model-T? – Henry Ford
The light bulb? – Thomas Edison
Right? Well, sort of. These are the inventors I remember hearing about in school when I was growing up. Turns out, according to my extensive 15 minute internet research, some of these “inventors,” while brilliant men, were often improving ideas that had already been formed, thus not the actual “inventor.” But, that’s a complicated concept for a third-grader, I suppose.
There is one man whom, I determined today, is NOT getting enough credit in the history books; the guy who invented air-conditioning. It’s 90+ degrees today with plenty of humidity to go along with it, and this afternoon I, for one, found myself wondering who in the world this genius was.
So, tonight I decided to do a little research into the subject, which is what sent me into my “extensive research” mode. Turns out, Willis Haviland Carrier is considered the inventor of modern air-conditioning. Hey, you don’t suppose that’s where Carrier Air-Conditioning Systems got their name, do you? Hmmm . . . . .
There’s actually a lot to learn about the invention of air-conditioning but hey, this is a blog, not an encyclopedia site. I’m just content going to bed tonight with gratefulness in my heart for the fact that God put Willis Haviland Carrier on the earth before me.
I’m also grateful for the fact that we have said air-conditioning installed in our home. It sure beats the days of sitting in front of a fan with our feet in cold water.