HOUSEHOLD FIRST
In 1901, British engineer Hubert Cecil Booth invented a machine that could suck up dirt in homes. This early version wasn’t as accessible as the one you likely have stored in a cupboard at home. The first vacuum cleaners were large horse-drawn units that required around six people to operate. When the vacuum cleaner reached the house where its wealthy occupants had paid to hire it, its hoses were fed through the windows and used to remove any dust. It wasn’t until 1908 that the smaller, handheld appliances we know today were invented by William Henry Hoover.