Today, the easiest way to beat the heat in scorching summers (and chilling winters) is to flip on a switch to cool down (or warm) ourselves. But, sitting in the comfort of an air-conditioning unit is a thing of very recent origin and our ancestors lived in natural circumstances. We have found some interesting facts that you might not know…..until now!

It was the year 1902, Willis Carrier designed the first air conditioner not for the comfort but to control humidity in a New York Publishing House. He designed the air conditioner for utility purposes because his paper used to expand and contract too soon. So, for the ink to dry faster and leave no smudge, he is credited to have designed the first air-conditioner.

Although Great Depression was in full swing, but the only business that attracted maximum crowds during summer months was the movie theatres in US. They were the first businesses to use an air conditioning service. People from far and wide used to flock to these theatres to see a movie in summertime. That was the reason why theatres too began releasing their biggest films during the summer season.

Yes! Due to the advancement in medicine, scientists found out wonder drugs to cure the ‘then’ deadly diseases. Some drugs were to be kept under controlled temperature conditions and if air conditioners hadn’t been in place, there would have been no advancement. Some medicine requires cold storage, so with the coming of air conditioners, medicines were created that cured certain ‘deadly’ illnesses.

In fact, not just Vegas, southern states like Florida, Texas, Arizona, Nevada all must be thankful for the air conditioning boom. South, being mostly agrarian wouldn’t have become the economic power, if it weren’t for ACs.

Prior to the popularity of the Air Conditioners, several industries and schools would slow down or take complete breaks to avoid working in the heat. But, when air conditioners became prominent, industries worked but the idea of a summer break for kids stayed.

Before air conditioners, homes and buildings were designed to ensure proper ventilation with breezeways, high ceilings, landscaping, sleeping porches and much more. This allowed the air to pass freely to and fro making inhabitants stay cooler inside. However, when the ACs became the norm, the construction design changed dramatically.

It was the year 1939, when the Packard Motor Company became the first manufacturer to include air conditioning in the car.

So far as consumption of energy is concerned, US can have the sobriquet of an energy hog. The amount of energy that US consumes annually to power its air conditioners is equivalent to the amount of energy used by the entire African continent.