5 Daily Things Invented For Another Purpose

5.    Ties

What actually was the first tie is somewhat disputed. It could either be the “trajanuscollony,” which was a cloth worn around the neck to protect its wearer from cold and also double as a handkerchief. Or it could be the piece of clothing that Croatian soldiers participating in the Thirty Years War wore around their necks to allow them identify each other on the battlefield and to keep their shirt collars together.

After the war, French soldiers introduced the tie to France, where it was often worn by the rich upper class. It was regarded as part of a man’s clothing but was adopted by women during the 1920s and 1930s when female actresses began wearing it. Ties only took their present form in 1924, when Jesse Langsdorf patented the method by which most of today’s ties are made.

4. Pillow 

The pillow was invented so that bugs would not crawl into the noses, ears, and mouths of people while they were sleeping. The pillow was first used in what is present-day Iraq over 9,000 years ago. Back then, it was carved from stone. Ancient Egyptians also used pillows because they wanted to protect their heads, which they believed were the most important parts of the body. Ancient Chinese used hard pillows (although they knew how to make softer ones) because of the belief that soft pillows depleted the body’s energy and were not effective at repelling demons.

Africans believed that using pillows while sleeping would connect the sleeping person with his ancestors and also allow spirits visit them in their sleep. Japanese geishas used small, hardened pillows so that their delicate hairstyles would not get scattered while they were asleep. In Europe, pillows were seen as a symbol of weakness, so men rarely used them. In fact, they were banned for use by anyone except pregnant women by King Henry VIII. Pillows only became softer and common during the Industrial Revolution, when they were mass-produced by textile industries.

3. Coca Cola

Coca-Cola was invented by John Pemberton, a pharmacist and US Civil War veteran, who had been injured in the Battle of Columbus. Just like every other injured soldier
back then, Pemberton began using morphine to reduce the pain of his injuries. And just like every other injured soldier back then, he became addicted to it. The issue of morphine addiction after the US Civil War was so serious that it was called “the army’s disease.”

While searching for a cure for his addiction, he invented a drink called “Pemberton’s French Wine Coca,” which was an alcoholic wine mixed with cola nut and coca plant, from which cocaine is derived. His drink was similar to another drink called “Vin Mariani,” which was a mixture of wine and cocaine. Both drinks were meant for curing morphine addiction.

John Pemberton stopped using alcohol in his French Wine Coca in 1886 when new legislation in his county restricted the sale of alcohol. He sold the new, non-alcoholic drink made from a mixture of cane sugar, coca leaves, and cola nut as a medicinal drink and cure for morphine addiction. He set up a company to produce the drink but later sold his shares. The new owners toyed with several names including “Koke” and “Yum Yum” before settling on Coca-Cola.

2. High-heels 

The first high heels were made for Persian soldiers in the 16th century. They were not designed for walking, as is clearly evident even today. Instead, they were made to give cavalry soldiers improved stability so that they could shoot their bows with improved efficiency while riding on horses.

High heels made it to Europe in the 1600s, when they were worn by people of higher class. It was common knowledge that such a shoe, which was not meant for walking, could only be used for walking by someone who did not have to work, which could only mean that the wearer was a member of the upper class. Women began wearing heels in an effort to look more like men. Men wore fatter heels, while women wore slimmer heels. Men only stopped wearing heels because it was no longer regarded as a status symbol for them since women were also wearing it.

1. T-shirt 

The first T-shirts were made for US Navy personnel during the Spanish-American War. They were intended to be worn as undershirts beneath the standard-issue uniforms. Submarine crews used them as work shirts because they were more suitable for their work and did not restrict movement. Also, they were less itchy than wool. The design was soon adopted by the US Army, which often issued it to recruits. Because the T-shirt was cheap and easy to wash, mothers began buying it for their children to be worn as a play and chore shirt.

With time, the T-shirt changed from being an undershirt meant for work and play to an outerwear and fashionable item. In the 1950s, Tropix Togs began the use of T-shirts in advertising when they secured exclusive rights from Disney to use images of several of their characters, including Mickey Mouse, on their clothes. By the 1960s, several designs, including V-necks, A-shirts, camisoles, and polo shirts, were also introduced as the T-shirt became more popular.