If there were a global hall-of-fame for products.

[JBR]

I'll submit the cordless drill as one of my favorite products ever. I use them a lot, and am very glad they exist.

Black & Decker introduced the first hand-held, cordless electric drill in 1961. It ran on nickel-cadmium batteries. It basically looked much like their corded drills of that period.

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Bosch introduced the first lithium-ion-battery powered hand tool, a screw driver, in 2003. Milwaukee introduced the first rechargeable lithium-ion drill in 2005. Definitely a change in the tool's shape!

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Many other companies put lithium-ion drills on the market, and the race for improvements and popularity became a crowded field. They're produced ad marketed by well-known companies, and there are many on the market from companies with virtually unknown names.

When I was in Italy in 2012, the builders' tool shops were featuring Makita's newest models, and when I returned I saw they were very well received in Canada as well. Here's one model by a highly respected manufacturer. Very compact and pretty sleek when compared to the pioneering models of past, and with a lot more capacity & versatility.

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[bobcat]

Planters Peanuts ....... I remember some of the little Mr Peanut plastics statues glowed in the dark.

 

[Gardenlover]

Arm & Hammer Baking Soda (1846)

Candy Corn (1880)

 

[bobcat]

I'll submit the cordless drill as one of my favorite products ever. I use them a lot, and am very glad they exist.

Black & Decker introduced the first hand-held, cordless electric drill in 1961. It ran on nickel-cadmium batteries. It basically looked much like their corded drills of that period.

View attachment 491955
​

Bosch introduced the first lithium-ion hand tool, a screw driver, in 2003. Milwaukee introduced the first rechargeable lithium-ion-battery powered drill in 2005. Definitely a change in the tool's shape!

View attachment 491957​

Many other companies put lithium-ion drills on the market, and the race for improvements and popularity became a crowded field. They're produced ad marketed by well-known companies, and there are many on the market from companies with virtually unknown names.

When I was in Italy in 2012, the builders' tool shops were featuring Makita's newest models, and when I returned I saw they were very well received in Canada as well. Here's one model by a highly respected manufacturer. Very compact and pretty sleek when compared to the pioneering models of past, and with a lot more capacity & versatility.

View attachment 491960​

Yes, Black & Decker even had a professional industrial line of tools for contractors. I used to have one of their 1/2" drills, and it was one tough tool. Not long after, B&D acquired Dewalt. Also, great tools. Love them.

 

[JustDave]

Kraft Mac & Cheese....introduced in 1937 and still going strong.

View attachment 491959

I made some just the other night, the Kraft Dinner kind, not the newer more mellow Mac and Cheese.

 

[JustDave]

View attachment 491947
Do you remember the Wimpy Burger Bar Holly? They didn't actually go bust, Their owners, Grand Metropolitan, began to phase out the Wimpy Bar in the United Kingdom, rebranding many of them as Burger King (which it also owned) because Burger King had the greater brand recognition amongst consumers, and to aid market competition against McDonald's.

I would say yes, because it brought back memories, but not because I remember a chain. In suburban Chicago, there was one corner restaurant in a full block of store fronts on the main drag called Wimpy's. I don't think it had anything to do with what you are talking about. It was just an ordinary "greasy spoon" with a sit down counter and an assorted menu that ran from burgers to dinners.

 

[Messy]

I have played Monopoly an uncountable number of times, but I don't think I've ever finished the game. We would just stop playing when doom seemed unavoidable. As the game progresses, one person ends up just slowly eating away at his opponent's wealth until the final outcome seems quite unavoidable. All the money making property is in one person's hands, and everyone else starts folding.

It's downright agonizing.

I was the small kid from the family, so they always let me win with self made rules. Loved the game. Always got loads of money.
I played it with my kids, a new version. I got a card that said more or less: pick one of the players you're gonna financially ruin. These 3 shocked faces. 3 small kids. You're not gonna pick me right? Lets just get rid of this card.

 

[Bella]

Rocket scientists developed this formula in 1953 to prevent rust on Atlas missiles. It took 40 attempts to get the Water Displacement formula right, hence the name WD-40.

 

[DebraMae]

Tang is still in use, even on the international space station. Actually it is not very healthy but makes the water taste better for the astronauts.

 

[Lawrence00]

 

[officerripley]

The hypodermic needle, especially the newest ones which seem to be almost painless; I think they've saved lots of lives.

 

[Messy]

Only discovered this recently. Insane amount of pesticides on your tomatoes? Baking soda. Stomach ache after eating? 1 teaspoon of baking soda in water. It's miracle stuff.

 

[bobcat]

Vaseline ........ used for over 150 years