Where would most of us be without an alarm clock? The answer to that question is, wherever it is, most likely we would be there late. The alarm clock, such a simple invention, can be considered one of the most important ones of all time, literally. There was a time when you woke when the sun woke you, but what about when you didn’t wake up in time? There was no way of avoiding being late. The history of the alarm clock is something that most people never think about, but something that revolutionized production and productivity among workers, and gave no one the excuse of oversleeping. Many probably have no idea what the history of the alarm clock is.
The history of the alarm clock is rumored to be in existence as far back as the times
of the ancient Greece. Plato was said to have an alarm clock, which was homemade out of a water clock, thought to wake him up for his lectures in the square. Then came Ctesibius from the 200BC era who had his own version. He had certain contraptions fashioned to his dial and pointer that could “preset” times to chime and make noise. A Monk in China in 727 by the name of Yi Xing invented something called the striking clock, which was further devised by engineers in the 10th and 11th century as additions to the astronomical clock. Although the beginnings of being able to chime at intervals began as far back as ancient Greece, an alarm clock that could be preset for any time day or night, did not make its appearance until later on in history.
The form which is most recognizable today, the settable mechanical alarm clock, has its origins as far back as the 15th century. Levi Hutchins invented a form of alarm clock in the United States in 1787. Seeing the need to be on time for work, he created his own version of the alarm clock to wake him at 4am to begin his chores. Although being preset, it was only set on 4am, good for him, not very useful for the rest of civilization. In 1847, Antoine Redier was the first to patent the first alarm clock. Throughout the history of civilization, many have found the need to gain control over time. The history of the alarm clock was the most inventive way to gain some control over the management of time, by alerting you when your time was up,and when it was time to get out of bed and start your day.