Ancient Greeks Used Steam Power in a Temple Toy
Over two thousand years ago, the engineer Hero of Alexandria designed a simple steam engine called the aeolipile that spun when heated water created jets of vapor. This early device demonstrated the basic principles of jet propulsion long before the Industrial Revolution harnessed steam for factories and trains. Historians note that the invention was treated more as a marvel or temple curiosity than a practical machine.
💡 Fun detail:
If the aeolipile had been developed further, daily life might have looked very different centuries earlier, with steam-powered gadgets appearing in homes instead of only in myths.
Source: Smithsonian Magazine