1946
- Surprisingly, microwaves were an accidental discovery. Electrical engineer, Dr. Percy Spencer, worked with the Raytheon Manufacturing Company, where he was conducting radar research using magnetrons.
- First commercial microwaves: they were 5 1/2 feet tall, weighed more than 700 pounds, and costed about $5,000.
- Spencer was granted a series of patents, one for a microwave coffee brewer (granted June 17, 1952) and the other one was for the basic operation of a microwave (granted January 24, 1950).
- 1953: First microwave ovens for home released, and costed $1,295.
- Amana Refrigeration, a subgroup of Raytheon Manufacturing Company, introduced this first compact microwave oven, called the Radarange.
- Federal Standards were made. Standards and regulations set by the federal government fixed problems with microwaves that were leaking.
- More households had microwaves than dishwashers. 60% of households had microwave ovens during this year.
- 90% of homes had a microwave oven of some kind.
- More than 95% of households have a microwave.