Popular things that no one needed before

Until relatively recently, the pinnacle of progress was a push-button telephone with the ability to play MP3s and take photos at a resolution of 620 × 480. Now we carry devices in our pockets a few decades ago would have been considered supercomputers in terms of power.

Usually, new technologies and things are accepted with enthusiasm and quickly penetrate society. But there are also cases when things that are popular today, when they were just invented or demonstrated to the world, were not needed by anyone.

7 popular things that no one needed before

1. Coffee

Coffee began to spread among the European nobility only after the First Crusade, when the knights returned from the Holy Land and brought with them various Arab and Persian things unknown before, including the drink famous today. To get the latest stories, install our app here

Today it is hardly possible to imagine at least one office without this drink and the complete absence of coffee fans in your company or friends. But then, a thousand years ago, almost no one needed this drink. Moreover, Pope Clement VIII even declared coffee to be the drink of the devil since, firstly, it was addictive, and secondly, it came from the Muslim countries of Africa, hostile to Europe at that time.

2. Bicycles

Currently, cyclists have a kind of privileged position in cities, and separate lanes are allocated for them so that they can ride on sidewalks or highways without stopping.

But when bicycles were first invented, not only were they not needed by anyone, but they were also considered dangerous and stupid entertainment, which has a good deal of truth. The fact is that the first bicycles had very disproportionate shapes and an undeveloped design, which often led to injuries, and people did not want to get on such a dangerous vehicle, preferring to ride a horse, in a wagon, or on foot. To get the latest stories, install our app here

In addition, newspapers regularly published negative articles about bicycles, saying that this transport provokes moodiness, mental weakness, and deadly impulses.

3. Television

Television Today, television is gradually being replaced by Internet services, but still remains one of the most popular ways to receive information. But when it was first invented, few people believed in it. Against the backdrop of various radio stations and newspapers, television looked poor and miserable with its extremely small screen, on which a magnifying glass was installed to see something.

In addition, the TV was a very expensive purchase, something on the level of a quality car, and only the wealthiest people could afford it. But even they were not particularly active in buying new equipment because there was nothing special to watch, and radio and newspapers were more trustworthy.

4. Umbrellas

It is interesting that umbrellas in Europe appeared initially as a fashion accessory and only for women. It was simply impossible to see a man with an umbrella because, for the people of those distant years, it would have looked about the same as a man walking around the streets today in a thong and a bra. To get the latest stories, install our app here

Like many fashion items, umbrellas as an accessory originated in France and many countries; they were considered a silly addition to no less silly outfits for a long time. It was only much later that umbrellas were used not only so that young ladies could cover their faces from a gentleman or shield themselves from the sun but also protect them from rain. But even then, for a long time, they were not particularly popular because of the price.

5. Cars

The first cars were essentially a carriage, to which a steam engine was attached, and then a gasoline engine and several control levers. They were uncomfortable and dangerous, rattling, shaking, and generally much less comfortable than the classic horse carriage. For this reason, and also because of the high cost, even rich people did not need the first cars.

Moreover, automobiles were not a particularly interesting invention until the release of the first mass-produced car – the Ford Model T, which rolled off the assembly line in 1908. Many wrote that cars would end up just as bad as bicycles in those days, and it’s good that they were wrong. To get the latest stories, install our app here

6. Computers

Initially, computers were used only by the military, and then they came to the corporate sector. When home computers began to enter the market, people were reluctant to buy them because they did not understand why this was needed. There was also nothing that could interest an ordinary person, and until the mid-80s, a computer at home would not cause admiration, but the question “why do you need it?”.

As for the price, the cost was prohibitive and could be up to 10 thousand dollars, and this is in the countries where these computers were produced.

7. Chocolate

Chocolate is one of the most popular desserts in the world. Billions of people, wherever you go, will confidently name chocolate as their favorite treat. But it was not always so. When Christopher Columbus brought cocoa beans from the Caribbean, almost no one appreciated this discovery. The chocolate itself, although quite fragrant, was bitter and astringent due to the lack of sugar, which made its consumption not as pleasant as it is today.

In addition, as in the case of coffee, cocoa beans, and all dishes and drinks made from them were considered heretical food, which is why the church did not particularly approve of their consumption. Chocolate has come a long way before becoming popular, at least on the tables of aristocrats and wealthy merchants. Only by the middle of the 20th century did it become so widespread that most people on the planet could afford it.