![Picture](/uploads/9/9/4/3/99436700/apush-refridgerator_orig.jpg)
The 1900's to 1920's saw a huge expansion in the number of inventions designed to improve living at home and the lives of women. These inventions include the air conditioner, the refrigerator, the vacuum, the first electric washer machine, the first personal toasters, the electric iron, and the first electric dishwasher. Many of these inventions made life much easier for women, who often stayed home and kept up with the house and kids while the husband was working to support the family. These inventions also served to improve the lives of the family as well as for they helped to increase sanitation. The invention of the refrigerator decreased the family's reliance on processed and canned meat, which allowed them to lead healthier lives. The invention of the air conditioner made staying at home more bearable, by creating a comfortable temperature. This lead to more people staying at home and avoiding the outdoors. Today we, as Americans, would be lost without such appliances. Over the years we have become entirely dependent on them and would certainly function poorly, if at all, without them.
![Picture](/uploads/9/9/4/3/99436700/published/apush-plane.png?250)
In 1903, the first airplane was created and successfully flown. This plane was created by the Wright brothers , who were Ohioan bicycle mechanics. The aircraft had two gasoline engines, which helped propel the aircraft. The aircraft took off on December 17, flying 120 feet in a flight lasting 12 seconds. The creation of the aircraft was very important and had drastic effects on the way in which wars are fought and people travel. Today, commercial airplanes an travel upwards of 400 mph and can fly as far as halfway across the world without ever landing. This method of transportation has drastically minimized the "size of the world." Aircraft were also valuable tools in both WWI and WWII, and today are used in many industries.
![Picture](/uploads/9/9/4/3/99436700/editor/first-television.jpg?1486051295)
The First television was created on September 7, 1927 by Philo Farnsworth. On august 31, 1920 the first ever radio broadcast was made on station 8MK. These two inventions, along with innovations in other communications technology, are solely responsible for completely changing the way in which we communicate and interact. Before these technologies, the only way to communicate to a large audience was through newspapers and written works. These works take time to write and perfect, making the public's knowledge of the event somewhat delayed. Today, newspapers and magazines are being replaced by the electronic news sites and channels. This technology also allows the information to be received, processed, and released at a much faster rate than at the time of newspapers.
![Picture](/uploads/9/9/4/3/99436700/published/apush-zipper.png?250)
The next big invention, is usually overlooked. This invention is the zipper. It may not sound like much, why its only a zipper, I mean how easy is it to over look that. Its important to realize though that the zipper has played a big role in the design and manufacture of clothing. After all, I suggest you go in your closet and count the apparel with zippers and the apparel with buttons. I am willing to bed the number of clothes with zippers far outweighs those with buttons. Before the zipper, all clothes were buttoned, these buttons were hard, somewhat difficult to use, easily broken off, and were time consuming to use (when compared to the zipper.) Now a days, the button has been almost exclusively replaced by the far more practicable and cheaper zipper. Today, buttons are used mostly for dress or higher end clothing.