They smacked them against their heads until they opened.
The can opener was invented after the invention of the can. Before it's arrival, cans were opened by many and dangerous ways. The dedicated opener made the operation quicker and safer than previous methods.
The "can opener" was invented along with the "can" - cans had to be opened to be of any use! The first cans were invented around 1772 in the Netherlands. Some of the earliest cans were opened with a hammer and chisel. As canning became more popular a plethora of patents were taken out both for the canning process and for various means of opening them. The first can opener patent obtained was in 1855 in England and 1858 in the United States. I recall "keys" were very popular in my youth.
The "can opener" was invented along with the "can" - cans had to be opened to be of any use! The first cans were invented around 1772 in the Netherlands. Some of the earliest cans were opened with a hammer and chisel. As canning became more popular a plethora of patents were taken out both for the canning process and for various means of opening them. The first can opener patent obtained was in 1855 in England and 1858 in the United States. I recall "keys" were very popular in my youth.
The first electric garage door opener was invented by C.G. Johnson in the year 1926 in India, Hartford City. Before that the electric garage door opener wasn't very popular.
Research cannot substantiate the original inventor of the first letter opener. In 1887, George D. Bernard of St. Louis created a basic envelope opener. Bernard's product opened the door for other inventors to improve the design.
The can!
He invented the first patented can opener.
1858
Ezra Warner was the inventor of the first can opener. He invented the can opener in the year 1858. Ezra was from Waterbury, Connecticut.
The can opener. The tin can was invented in the late 17 hundreds but it was not until the middle 18 hundreds that people invented something to open them. Before this, the cans were made of very thick iron and impervious to almost any opener except a hammer and chisel.
In 1813 by Ezra Warner
Ezra Warner in 1858