They didn't. It was the ancient chinese in 200bc.
243 BC
A winnowing fan is an agricultural tool shaped like a sickle. It is used in harvesting crops by reaping of the crop.
winnowing fan
used to seperate the grains from the husks. husks were blown away by the wind creeated by the winnowing fan and the grains would fall to the found.
electricity to rotary mechanicalrotary mechanical to "wind"
Has to do with threshing, an agricultural task now mainly performed by harvesting machines, combines, etc.
The electric fan
the electric fan
1882
for some use
because they had to move it round with a handle
Schuyler Skaats Wheeler