5 Surprising Inventions We Owe to the Military

Many of the most impactful innovations from the military world are surprisingly subtle—and ones we rely on every single day.

Civilian Life, Powered by War Tech

There’s an old saying: whenever something new is invented, the first thing a government asks is, “How can we use this in a war?”

And while that might be true in many cases, civilians have reaped huge benefits from this endless arms race.

The Internet: Born from a NATO Experiment

The origins of the internet trace back to 1973, when Norway connected to University College London in a NATO-backed communications experiment. That’s when the term “internet” began to take shape.

Fast forward to 1991, and the World Wide Web was introduced by a researcher at CERN. By the late ‘90s—cue Google in 1998—the internet was a global fixture, now an indispensable part of modern life.

GPS: Your Personal Navigator Started as a Military Project

Remember the last time you got around without a map app? Neither do we.

GPS technology, now standard in phones and cars, began in the 1970s as a U.S. Department of Defense project.

By 1993, a full system of 24 satellites was orbiting Earth, providing pinpoint navigation for military—and eventually civilian—use.

Microwaves: An Accidental Snack-Saver

Microwave cooking was discovered by chance. In 1946, engineer Percy Spencer was working on magnetrons for radar systems, a technology that exploded in importance during WWII and the Cold War.

One day, a candy bar in his pocket melted unexpectedly during an experiment. His curiosity led to the invention of the microwave oven—a household staple born from radar research.

Duct Tape: A Mother’s Idea That Held the Front Together

During WWII, Vesta Stoudt, a factory worker and mother of two sailors, noticed that the way ammunition boxes were sealed with paper tape and wax was a nightmare for troops. She suggested a waterproof, cloth-based alternative.

When her bosses brushed her off, she wrote to the U.S. President himself. Her idea was approved—and duct tape became a battlefield essential and household hero.

Superglue: From Failed Optics to Battlefield Bandages

In a WWII-era lab, a young chemist tried to create materials for precision gunsights.

Instead, he discovered a substance that stuck to everything—completely useless for his original task.

But years later, that ultra-adhesive material became superglue. It was even used to seal wounds during combat before surgical treatment.

Honorable mentions

The list of military inventions now used in everyday life is too long for this article, but there are still som honerable mentions:

• Canned food
• Freeze-drying
• Frozen juice concentrate
• Drones
• Jet engines
• EpiPens
• Blood transfusions and blood banks
• Weather radar
• Stainless steel
• Vegetarian sausages