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Amazing Swiss Inventions That Are Popular All Over The World
With a population of just 8.7 Million, Switzerland is a relatively small country. However, when it comes to inventions it’s definitely quite big! Some of its many inventions and innovations have had a great impact on the world and it would be hard to think of life without some of them. From milk chocolate to vegetable peelers, Switzerland has given us a lot to be thankful for. Here are some amazing Swiss inventions that are popular all over the world, many of which have changed the way we live. Can you think of any more we have left out?
- Milk chocolate: Swiss chocolatier Daniel Peter from Vevey, invented milk chocolate in 1875 by adding powdered milk to chocolate. It quickly became very successful and put Switzerland on the map for chocolate.
- Cellophane: A very important wrapping material, cellophane, was invented in 1908 by Swiss chemist Jacques Brandenberger. The clear, flexible material can be used to wrap almost anything.
- Swiss Army knife: The Swiss Army knife was invented in 1891 by Karl Elsener, and quickly became a very practical and essential tool for soldiers and outdoor enthusiasts.
- Velcro: Swiss engineer George de Mestral invented Velcro in 1948 after observing the way burrs stuck to his dog’s fur. Today, velcro is used for everything from clothing to packaging to space suits.
- The first electric toothbrush was invented in Switzerland by Dr. Philippe-Guy Woog in 1954. Known as the Broxident who would have thought it would have become such a popular device.
- Helvetica font: The Helvetica font was designed by Swiss designer Max Miedinger in 1957 and originally called Neue Haas Grotesk typeface. It was renamed in 1960 & quickly became one of the most popular typefaces in the world.
- LCD Displays: The technology to create the Liquid Crystal Displays (LCD) for watches and alarm clocks was invented and patented in 1970 by Hoffman-La Roche, the large Swiss pharmaceutical company in Basel.
- CERN and the World Wide Web: The European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) was founded in 1954 by a group of European scientists, including many from Switzerland. CERN is home to the Large Hadron Collider, the world’s largest and most powerful particle accelerator and it is at CERN that the World Wide Web was actually invented.
- Fondue: Fondue, a traditional Swiss dish of melted cheese and bread, was invented in the 18th century.
- Swiss wristwatch: The Swiss wristwatch was invented in 1868 by Patek Philippe & Co. and was made for made for Countess Koscowicz of Hungary. It soon became a luxury item worn by the wealthy and famous.
- Muesli: Swiss physician Maximilian Bircher-Benner invented muesli, a type of cereal made from oats, apples, and nuts, in the late 19th century.
- The Toilet Duck toilet cleaner was invented and patented in 1980 by Walter Düring from Dällikon, Switzerland. It was so called due to the shape of its bottle.
- LSD: Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann accidentally discovered the psychedelic drug LSD in 1938 while working at Sandoz (now Novartis) Laboratories in Basel.
- Coffee capsules and the machines to use them were invented in the 1970s by Nespresso a part of Nestlé, the food and drink company from Vevey, Switzerland.
- The Rex aluminium vegetable peeler was invented and patented by a Swiss man by the name of Alfred Neweczerzal in 1947. High quality and very functional it is a very popular kitchen utensil.
- The Modern Zipper: Martin Winterhalter from Switzerland refined the American invention of the ‘pre-zip’ and acquired the patent in 1923. He then went on to perfect the technology and created the ‘coil zip’ or interlocking tooth zip in 1925.
- The Red Cross: The International Committee of the Red Cross was founded in 1863 by Swiss businessman Henry Dunant.
- The International Olympic Committee: The International Olympic Committee was founded in Lausanne, Switzerland in 1894.
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