By right France occupies leading positions in multiple fields – art, fashion, literature, technologies, and much more. Paris is called the most romantic city on Earth and millions of people worldwide call champagne their favorite drink. But what if we tell you that most of the things we love are also of a French origin? After reading this article you’ll be amazed by how many French inventions we use day after day without even knowing where they came from.
Mayonnaise
According to the latest researches, for the first time in history mayonnaise has beaten ketchup and became the favorite sauce not only in Britain but in most countries as well.
First mentioned in 1804 by a traveler to Paris, ‘mayonnaise de poulet’ quickly gained popularity and now has tens of variations depending on personal preferences, particular dish or required ingredients. In supermarkets, department or online stores you can find mayonnaise with or without eggs, in jars, bottles or sachets. Mayonnaise has become one of the simplest and yet most delicious sauces ever and we’ll be forever thankful to France for introducing it to us!
The Braille System
Louis Braille is a person behind the Braille System, which helps bling people to read and write. When he was three years old Louis accidentally stabbed himself with father’s instruments and caused an infection that left the boy blind.
Louis went to school for blind children in Paris, where he mastered organ and cello. But he was still frustrated by the letters that were used to teach students. At the age of twelve Braille learned about code with dashes and dots, which was used in the French army at night, when lamps were prohibited. In three years he created a simpler system with six dots, which could be scanned by a single finger.
Unfortunately, the Braille System was adopted only after his death. The Royal National Institute of the Blind started using this system and now it’s a globally accepted way of written interaction for the blind.
Roulette
Every game has different theories concerning its origin. Roulette is not an exception but considering that it means ‘small wheel’ in French, most likely it was first invented there.
According to the most popular theory it was introduced by Blaise Pascal, a French scientist, back in 1655. He was on a monastic retreat and most likely bored to death. First roulette was played in Paris but quickly gained popularity and now motherland of gambling still supplies with extremely developed online gambling sites for French players and far beyond.
When in France you can expect unforgettable gambling experience and it’s not surprising considering how much this country has contributed to the field: in the 1500s the French added Queen to the deck, in the 17th century the Roulette wheel was invented and such games as 21 and blackjack are also known to be introduced in France.
At the moment the French government has introduced new regulations in the gambling field giving FDJ, a gaming and lottery operator, an exclusive right to manage games both online and offline.
Hairdryer, pencil sharpener, canning
The majority of women can’t imagine their lives without a hairdryer. It was first invented by a French stylist back in 1888 for his hair salon. The first hair dryer was heavy and couldn’t be moved. It had a dome, which attached to a gas stove chimney pipe and blew air over wet hair to make the water evaporate.
The next invention that students and office workers use daily is a pencil sharpener. It’s also of a French origin and was invented in 1828 by Bernard Lassimonne.
And of course, we couldn’t avoid mentioning canning, which makes our lives much easier. Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte wanted to find a way to preserve food and even offered an award. In 1809 Nicholas Appert, a brewer and confectioner offered to seal food inside containers thus introducing canning to the world.
More Inventions are Still Ahead
Our daily lives are filled with items of French origin – mayonnaise, hairdryer, metric system, card games, canning, and whatnot. We read French poems and drink champagne to celebrate important events. France never ceases to amaze us and we are sure that more is yet to come.
