About Air Conditioning Appreciation Days

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Think of how life would be without air conditioning. It is a scary thought!

The Romans were the first to attempt air conditioning, using fans held by slaves, water via aqueducts, and designing buildings with breezeways. The Persian and Arab worlds further perfected the use of architecture to create breezes. Electricity would finally make air conditioning possible, first with a fan and then via Willis Carrier's 1902 invention, a water-cooled, coiled air conditioner. Like many inventions, he didn't realize what he had for over a decade. His purpose was to reduce humidity in his print shop, and it did that, but he soon realized it could do much more.

In 1922, he created the first room chiller debuting over Memorial Day weekend in 1925 with the first artificially cooled commercial venue, the Rivoli Theater in Times Square. Suddenly, places considered virtually unlivable, like the desert Southwest, areas of the Middle East, Africa, South America, and Australia, were suddenly attractive. Air conditioning made it possible, but it would take a while. In the 1960s, only 10% of homes had air conditioning in the United States. By 2007, 86% would have it. Cities including Phoenix, Dubai, Riyadh, and Sydney would not be the powerhouses they are today without air conditioning. Air conditioning changed demographics throughout the world.

As the dog days of summer set in, please take this opportunity to be thankful for that cool breeze that allows us to work, sleep and make the most out of the hot (and often humid) summer months.

John C Nash created Air Conditioning Appreciation Days.