Some technologies feel incredibly modern, but many have been around far longer than most people realize. In some cases, the original version existed before the telephone, television, or even the automobile.
1. Fax Machines Are Older Than the Telephone
The first fax technology was patented in 1843 by Scottish inventor Alexander Bain — more than 30 years before Alexander Graham Bell patented the telephone in 1876. In theory, Abraham Lincoln could have sent a fax to a samurai.
2. Electric Cars Are Nearly 200 Years Old
Many people think electric vehicles are a recent invention, but experimental electric carriages were already appearing in the 1830s. In fact, electric cars briefly outsold gasoline vehicles in the early 1900s.
3. Video Calls Predate the Internet
AT&T demonstrated a video calling system at the 1964 World’s Fair. The technology worked, but it was expensive and arrived decades before most people had any reason to use it.
4. Touch Screens Are Older Than Personal Computers
The first touchscreen technology was developed in the 1960s for air traffic control and industrial systems long before smartphones existed.
5. Drones Have Been Around Since World War I
Early unmanned aircraft experiments began during World War I, although the technology wouldn’t become practical or affordable for consumers for another century.
6. QR Codes Are Older Than Google
QR codes were invented in Japan in 1994 to track automotive parts during manufacturing. Most people ignored them until smartphones finally gave them a purpose.