Word: bathroom
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...1880s, England's Prince Edward (later to become King Edward VII) hired a prominent London plumber named Thomas Crapper to construct lavatories in several royal palaces. While Crapper patented a number of bathroom-related inventions, he did not - as is often believed - actually invent the modern toilet. He was, however, the first one to display his bathroom wares in a showroom, so that when customers needed a new fixture, they would immediately think of his name...
...with access to modern plumbing, how often do we really think about our toilets? From outhouses to water closets - even former Merrill Lynch CEO John Thain's $35,000 "commode on legs" (technically a table, not a toilet) - humans have been devising creative ways to go to the bathroom since, well, the first person crossed his legs with an urgent need to go. (See the top 10 environmental ideas...
...Bathroom technology really took off in the 20th century. Flushable valves, water tanks that rest on top of the bowl rather than above, toilet-paper rolls (invented in 1890 but not heavily marketed until 1902) - these minor improvements seem like necessities now. And if you think the toilet hasn't changed recently, think again: in 1994 Congress passed the Energy Policy Act, requiring common flush toilets to use only 1.6 gallons of water, less than half of what they consumed before. The "low flow" law left a lot of consumers dissatisfied (and a lot of toilets clogged) until companies developed...
...invented the toilet. Early contenders for the honor are the Scots and the Greeks. Skara Brae, a Neolithic settlement on the Scottish mainland dating back to 3,000 B.C., features stone huts equipped with drains extending from recesses in their walls - a feature that historians believe were for residents' bathroom needs. The Palace of Knossos on Crete, built around 1,700 B.C., features definite latrines: large, earthenware pans connected to a water supply that ran through terra-cotta pipes. Europeans had nothing of comparable sophistication until well into the 16th century...
Garderobes and public toilets were eventually replaced with something slightly more recognizable to the modern-day defecator: a box with a lid. France's Louis XI hid his toilet behind curtains and used herbs to keep his bathroom scented; England's Elizabeth I covered her commode in crimson velvet bound with lace...