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This is the Timespan of Percy Spencer's Life
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Percy is born in the rural town of Howland, Maine.
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Percy Spencer's father died when he was less than 3 years old. His mother soon abandoned him, and he was then raised by his poor aunt and uncle in Lincoln, Maine. His Uncle Henry passed away when Percy was 7 years old. Percy became the head of the family, and dropped out of school.
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Percy was 8 when he first started working in his uncle's flour mill.
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He joined the Navy because he admired the wireless operators during the sinking of the Titanic, and wanted to learn wireless telegraphy. He taught himself what he needed to know while standing watch late at night. Percy was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal while serving in the U.S. Navy.
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After World War II, Percy became the 5th employee of the Raytheon Company in Lexington, Massachusetts. He began work on photoelectric vacuum tubes. Percy had the opportunity to work with some of the brightest minds in physics.
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In 1941, magnetrons were being produced at a rate of 17 per day. Percy set out to create a simpler magnetron that could be mass produced. His improvements allowed for a mass production of 2,600 magnetrons per day.
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Percy's idea for a microwave started when he was working with magnetron tubes during a radar related research project. He was up close working with them when he noticed a chocolate candy bar melting in his pocket. The microwave works by heating water molecules in the food.
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The first microwave weighed 750 pounds, was 6 feet tall, and cost about $5000, They had to be water-cooled, so plumbing was required for installation.
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The first issued patent number for the microwave oven was 2,495,429.
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The first countertop microwave was produced by Amana, an extension of the Raytheon Company. It hit the market in 1967.
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In the 1970's, due to improved technology and other companies joining the market, prices of the microwave declined by hundreds of dollars and sales increased.
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Percy died at the age of 76. Up until his death, he was still serving as a Senior Consultant for Raytheon Company. At the time of his death, Percy Spencer held 150 patents. (some research showed as few as 120 patents, and others showed up to over 300 patents)
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For the first time, the sales of microwaves exceeded that of gas ranges.
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In 1976, the microwave became a more commonly owned kitchen appliance, in American, than the dishwasher.
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Percy was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame, alongside great inventors like Thomas Edison, the Wright Brothers, and George Washington Carver.
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Today about 90% of Americans have a microwave.
