The Microwave Mystery: A Brief History

In the 1940s, the first microwave in the microwave was invented by accident. Yes, you read that right. Accidentally.

It was 1947, and the first magnetron, a device that used high-powered microwaves to heat food, was being tested at Raytheon, a leading manufacturer of military radar technology. The engineers were trying to create a new type of magnetron that would be able to generate a beam of microwaves that could penetrate deep into the heart of an enemy's radar system.

But, as it turned out, the microwaves had a curious side effect: they made a bowl of popcorn explode.

This was not what they were going for.

But, as it often does, necessity became the mother of invention. The engineers at Raytheon realized that the microwaves could also be used to heat food quickly and efficiently. And so, the first microwave oven was born.

Or, as we now know, the first microwave in the microwave mystery.