Summary: <br> <br> Have you ever looked at an item that you use almost daily and wondered about its history? It turns out, a lot of things we use every day were inventions of World War 1. <br> The Inventions of World War 1<br> Here are six inventions of World War 1 in particular that have had a significant impact on society. Did you know that these everyday items and ideas were invented during that era?<br> <br> Trench Coats<br> Daylight Savings Time<br> Pilotless Drones<br> The Wristwatch<br> Zippers<br> Stainless Steel<br> <br> Let's take a closer look at these inventions of World War 1.<br> <br> Trench Coats<br> Trench coats were not created to be fashionable. Designers of trench coats created them purely to satisfy a practical need. That need was as a replacement for the heavy wool greatcoats that were issued to British military officers. While the wool coats provided warmth, they also became cumbersome when wet, making movement more difficult.<br> As they say, necessity is the mother of invention. British soldiers serving in the trenches during World War I needed a more practical option to the wool greatcoat. The English clothing industry came up with one of the inventions of World War 1 still commonly worn today. They created the early version of the modern trench coat. The trench coat had many benefits over the long wool greatcoats. It was lightweight, waterproof, and made with deep pockets for holding maps and other necessities. Trench coats also had a waist belt consisting of metal rings for carrying needed equipment.<br> Daylight Savings Time<br> Benjamin Franklin is credited with the idea of putting clocks forward during the spring and back in the fall. It was in a 1784 letter to a French newspaper where Franklin first suggested that candles were wasted during the summer. His reasoning was because the sunset before people went to bed, so in turn, they lit candles to see. Likewise, he believed that people wasted daylight by sleeping well past the sunrise.<br> It wasn’t until World War I that the notion of daylight savings time became a reality. It was instituted due to the demands of the war and coal shortages. Germany mandated that on April 30, 1916, clocks be moved forward from 11:00 pm to midnight. They hoped the extra hour of daylight in the evenings would use less coal for heat and light.<br> Britain followed Germany’s example and initiated daylight savings time on May 21, 1916. Other European countries soon made the transition as well. Eventually, on March 19, 1918, following its entry into the war, the US implemented daylight savings time. The US also established time zones to help in the war effort.<br> Following the signing of the armistice that ended the war, daylight savings time also came to an end. However, as history has shown (and to the dismay of parents everywhere), the idea of daylight savings time would return.<br> Pilotless Drones<br> The first use of crewless aerial vehicles happened on July 12, 1849. This first attempt by the Austrians at using unmanned balloons to carry explosives over the besieged city of Venice was a failure due to unfavorable winds. However, while the young artillery officer who created the idea failed on his initial attempt, his second effort on August 22, 1849, achieved a small level of success.<br> While the attempt to float pilotless explosives-laden balloons over Venice was only marginally successful in damaging the city, it psychologically affected the population. The psychological impact and other stresses of the siege pushed Venice over the edge and resulted in their surrender two days later.<br> Meanwhile, the first use of a pilotless, motorized aircraft took place on Long Island, New York, on March 6, 1918. Two Navy inventors designed a pilotless aerial bomb. In short, their brainchild combined two inventions of World War 1 at the same time. While creating the first motorized uncrewed aeria...
