12.7.13

Important Creations Throughout The Life Of Richard Overton

By Stacey Massey


Richard Overton has the amazing honor of currently being the eldest war veteran soldier still alive. Now 107 years of age, the gentleman resides in East Austin, Texas, and in 2013 saw the capital of North america, Washington, D. C. For the very first time in his life. As a sign of respect to the remarkable life of Overton, the following are 4 of the most extremely influential developments during the man's mammoth lifespan.

The diet of the average American has undertaken a massive change during Overton's lifetime. The increased popularity of television meant that mealtimes for the average American family needed to take this into account. Meals needed to be convenient and easy to prepare. To this end, that was why the TV dinner, a massively popular all in one meal, was invented.

They were inspired by the meals on airplanes, meals that could be stored in the freezer over a long period of time and taken out at the user's convenience. They were processed in factories, hit the market in the 1940s and were largely available at the local grocery store. Yet although they made viewing the television convenient, they were not greatly popular until the 1950s, when sales rocketed. Though some argue they made the focus of mealtimes more about watching TV than about socializing, recent estimates have their sales each year at around $4billion-$5billion.

Another creation that has changed lives is the mobile phone, also known as the cell phone. In the eighties a hand-held device, the DynaTAC from Motorola, was created that could make phone calls to land lines and other cell phones. It had its drawbacks though, and with battery life of around thirty to sixty minutes didn't catch on right away. It was also quite large and cumbersome and needed to be stored in a briefcase.

These days a mobile is much lighter, usually weighing around 5 ounces and can fit in the anyone's pocket. And these days they are cheaper too, as in 1983 one of these would have set someone back around $4,000. As the devices are ever-changing, it seems the only certainty is that in 30 years time they will not be the same as they are now.

The way in which we store our food has undergone fundamental changes in the last hundred years. Refrigeration, though around for hundreds of years and constantly refined, wasn't something that had been transferred to the home arena until the 1920s. It has totally changed the way people eat all over the planet.

Any list of the most influential things might be remiss if it does mention the Internet. Considering its relative youth, it has changed the way we communicate, the way we shop and the way in which business is conducted. It is arguably one of the most powerful sources of information on the planet as well.

It seems that Richard Overton has been alive for some of the most important and powerful changes in our society's history. Life is arguably much faster than at any time in history, and yet Overton credits his long life to remaining free from stress and trying to be as active as possible.




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