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Today marks 120 years since Popular Mechanics’ first issue debuted. The eccentric Henry Haven Windsor published the inaugural edition on January 11, 1902, with the goal of providing an explanation for life’s technological and scientific marvels, “written so you can understand it.”
A lot has changed since the magazine’s inception. Our issues are smaller—literally! Some earlier issues stretched up to 600 pages—and we’ve continued to fine-tune our coverage to bring you the sharpest, most useful information, written by an ever-expanding roster of diverse editors and contributors. But we still carry the same enthusiasm for the world around us, the same drive to build and create, and the same desire to share our knowledge and expertise.
To mark the occasion, we’ve pulled together a handful of our favorite articles from each decade.
1900s
Locomotive Without Fire or Water Would Make Crossing the Continent Without Stopping Possible, January, 1905
In the early 1900s, locomotive trains still needed to carry tons of coal or thousands of gallons of water, to travel long distances. This article discusses the theoretical design of an internal combustion engine to power a locomotive and free it from those encumbrances. It would travel at 100 miles per hour, without stopping, from New York City to San Francisco, the story assumes.
- Manasee Wagh (Service and News Editor)
Experiments With Artificial Wings, September, 1905
Flying experiments were all the rage at this time. Scientists in England designed crow-like wings that were 20 feet from tip to tip and flapped 100 times per minute. They managed to lift a weight of 232 pounds about 2 feet in the air. Meanwhile, an Ohio inventor used thousands of turkey feathers to launch a light frame into the air.
In this story, you can feel the excitement and longing behind the public’s dream to fly.
- Manasee Wagh
The Evolution of Rubber From Seeds to Auto Tires April, 1908
Tracing the journey from rubber tree to manufactured automobile tires, this “picture story” illustrates a process that started with the rubber tree seeds in Ceylon, known today as Sri Lanka. The images show a stark contrast between the people, some of whom are children, working on the rubber plantation, and the men at the factory making tires.
- Manasee Wagh
1910s
Passenger Uses Aeroplane to Overtake Liner, July, 1912
When great steamships were in their heyday, one belated passenger decided to use a brand-new mode of transportation to get to his ship in the nick of time. A New York passenger got a ride aboard a “hydro-aeroplane” to catch up to the ship after it had departed for Europe, to make sure he got aboard.
- Manasee Wagh
The Fighting Flyers: What the War has Taught European Airmen About Aeroplanes, July, 1915
Eight months after the start of WWI, Popular Mechanics did a retrospective about how airplanes of the time were being used in the war effort. The author had flown planes himself, and was considered an authority on aviation. Over the course of a 10-page article, he discussed the relative merits of different plane designs for military action. A pusher seaplane, for example, was probably the best seagoing aircraft.
- Manasee Wagh
Some of Toyland’s Newest and Best Products, October, 1917
Here are the toys boys and girls were playing with about 100 years ago. They include a doll that “almost talks,” a sled “that a baby can steer,” a toy power plant that runs on hot air, and a mechanical car that a child can ride, complete with horn and electric lights.
Kids today would probably have a blast with these products.
- Manasee Wagh
1920s
New Design of Airship Will Use Non-Explosive Gas, July, 1922
Plans for airship carriers for freight and passenger service were underway, using safer gas. The gas was said to be non-inflammable and non-explosive. The wings of the new airship design are illustrated in the story and would provide vertical lift using the new gas, which goes unnamed in the article.
- Manasee Wagh
What the Panama Canal Means to You, November, 1924
It was the tenth anniversary of the Panama Canal opening. More than 25,000 seagoing vessels had passed through it, saving almost 2 million miles by not having to go around South America. This article delves into the history of the canal, how it impacted the world, and what was yet to come.
Work on the canal wasn’t finished. Still planned were larger locks, more storage reservoirs and a steam-electric plant to save wasted water while generating hydroelectric power.
- Manasee Wagh
The Inventions of the Future, April, 1928
In the next 50 years, a man may be able to helicopter right out of his backyard and onto the roof of his office building. That’s one prediction from a 1928 edition of the magazine, which envisioned aeronautics as the next great technical wave of progress. While the article got a great deal wrong, (including that not only men would be working in the office), it did anticipate a more flying-friendly future. Among other predictions, the story anticipates greater use of power from the sun and the waves, and artificial lighting that doesn’t produce much heat. We’re still waiting for space-saving, two-level streets and free power for everyone, though.
- Manasee Wagh
1930s
PAN! Rules, April, 1932
Radio is to airplanes as the telegraph is to trains, according to a story that describes the importance of communication between ground and air in the burgeoning airline industry. The radio system between airplanes and radio operators on the ground was the start of today’s crucial, time-sensitive relationship between air traffic control and airplane pilots.
- Manasee Wagh
The House that Runs Itself, June, 1935
This article touts the “packaged home” whose motorized core includes all the plumbing, heating, cooking, lighting and air-conditioning devices. With no furnace, the air is cleaner and heating is more efficient, as the story describes. This was a futuristic view of a home, one equipped with electric appliances in the kitchen.
- Manasee Wagh
Exploring a Tropical Wonderland, December, 1939
The Valero III was a scientific exploration ship from the University of Southern California. It was a floating laboratory with workrooms for studying specimens, and smaller boats for landing on the coast to study animals and plants in Central and South America. In some cases, the scientists brought back animals to zoos, such as the pug-nosed Peruvian sea lion.
- Manasee Wagh
1940s
Color-shooting in Fairyland, January, 1940
This story about the production of the movie Pinocchio beautifully illustrates Popular Mechanics' ability to shed light on the science (and magic) behind our favorite things—something I always strive to do in my own work. Plus, the graphics from this era of the magazine are stunning.
Bonus: Pilots. Playing tic-tac-toe. Mid-air.
- Jennifer Leman (News Editor)
Miracle on Wheel, November, 1942
The Jeep was a marvel when it was released in 1940 and completely changed the course of the war effort. This article details the enduring power of this automotive titan.
- Jennifer Leman
Wonder Drug Made from Mold Aids Wound, November, 1943
The discovery of penicillin by Alexander Fleming in 1928 changed the course of medicine. (The first dose wasn't administered to a patient until 1942.) It's always interesting to digitally flip through the pages of our archives and come across watershed moments like these.
- Jennifer Leman
It Thinks With Electrons, June, 1946
When it booted up in 1945, J. Presper Eckert Jr.'s Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer (known as Eniac) became a technological marvel. The first modern, electric computer, it could in a span of weeks make calculations that would take previous computers years to unravel. The mammoth machine laid the groundwork for other computational behemoths in the years to come.
- Jennifer Leman
1950s
Rainbow on the TV Screen, January, 1950
I love this story from the January 1950 issue, which explores the science behind a brand new technology sweeping across the country: color television. It's a wonderful reminder that the colorful images that make up our favorite shows (Yellowjackets, anyone?) were once a novel invention.
Bonus: the previous page features a "cardboard umbrella" and a very cute canine dressed to impressed in a set of splints.
- Jennifer Leman
Miracles You'll See in the Next 50 Years, February, 1950
Gasp! Shop by "picture-phone"?!
I find these unbearably retro, forward-looking pieces fascinating because they highlight problems unique to their era. It's interesting to compare the wacky proposed solutions to the solutions that were actually developed. But they're often a masterclass in cringe: "Housewives in 50 years may wash dirty dishes—straight down the drain! Cheap plastic would melt in hot water."
Times sure have changed. I, for one, am grateful we're not washing dissolvable (and likely chemical-laden) dinnerware down the drain.
- Jennifer Leman
Kiddie Roller Coaster, March, 1950
Rollicking good times are ahead, indeed! Since its inception, Popular Mechanics has been dedicated to providing crafters, tinkerers, and DIYers alike with the inspiration and instructions to build the world they want to live in. The March 1950 issue lays out plans for an incredible backyard roller coaster.
This Pop Project is what dreams are made of.
- Jennifer Leman
1960s
X-Ray Detectives, March, 1960
I worked in a frame conservation lab in college, so I love stories that mash art and science together. This article from the March, 1960, issue follows a pair of scientists who use an X-ray to explore the guts of ancient artifacts in museums around the world. It's a technique that's still used today to reveal hidden layers of paint, spot forgeries and uncover alteration attempts.
- Jennifer Leman
Rehearsal for Undersea Escape, May, 1960
The May, 1960, issue of Popular Mechanics—complete with a special vacation section!—details a training program designed to help pilots more easily escape planes that have been downed in the ocean.
- Jennifer Leman
Shop and Crafts: Saucy Shingle, March, 1965
This project, from my grandfather's Popular Mechanics Do-It-yourself Encyclopedia, defined my idea of the brand for years. I'm not sure what about it enchanted my 10-year-old self, but I can remember the hold it had on my imagination all these years later. With a son approaching 10-years-old now, it might be time to dust off the plans.
- Brad Ford (Test Editor)
Man's First Day on the Moon, July, 1969
The July, 1969, issue, unsurprisingly featured one of the greatest achievements in human history. When Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins visited the moon that summer, the entire world was captivated. Popular Mechanics detailed the science behind their giant leap.
- Jennifer Leman
1970s
The Hottest Job in the World, February, 1970
I love this story from the February, 1970, issue, which highlights the work of NASA's early Astronaut Rescue Team, a 14-person crew that waited inside tanks near the launchpad during the Apollo missions.
In the event that there was a pre-launch fire or explosion, the team was trained to rush in and pluck the astronauts out of the rocket. Our writer follows the team as they prepare for the ill-fated Apollo 13 mission.
- Jennifer Leman
Pedal Cars: The Gasless Way to Go, May, 1974
Personally, I would love to take one of these outlandish contraptions for a spin.
- Jennifer Leman
1980s
Living With an Electric Car, June, 1980
Cybertruck, is that you? The June 1980 issue of Popular Mechanics dove into the nuances of “living with an electric car,” something we’re used to in 2022 but that was something of a novelty in the 80s. While most of the electric cars you see today are sleek with über modern lines, the EVs of days past looked rudimentary, like something you’d see in an 8-bit video game.
- Daisy Hernandez (Associate News Editor)
Pocket-size Computers, October, 1980
In the fall of 1980, Popular Mechanics marveled at the “pocket-size computers” created by Panasonic and Sinclair. Especially impressed with the ability to type a whole word pushing only a single button, the editor called the system “amazing.” Today, we don’t bat an eye at the incredible feats of technowizardry all around us: modern smartphones are actual pocket-sized computers far more powerful and versatile than anything the 80s could’ve dreamed up.
- Daisy Hernandez
Treasures of the Titanic, December, 1987
When Popular Mechanics’ December 1987 issue came out, it had been 75 years since the ill-fated RMS Titanic sank to the murky depths of the North Atlantic ocean. All that time, priceless goods sat in their watery graves waiting to be rediscovered, a feat that was made possible by a state-of-the-art submersible called the Nautile in 1985. We covered the incredible items the Nautile managed to salvage, which included a signal bell, decorative artifacts that were part of the ship, dinnerware, serving trays, and one of many chandeliers.
- Daisy Hernandez
1990s
Red-hot Hovercraft, March, 1992
Ah, the hovercraft. Maybe you envision the vehicle that the Jetsons flew around in, or perhaps your mind conjures the exact hovercraft we had on our March 1992 cover—a big red spaceship looking boat from Ferrari that sits on an inner tube that came in two- and four-seater versions depending on what you needed. Today’s hovercrafts are more advanced but still haven’t really caught on in terms of popularity.
- Daisy Hernandez
Understanding and Exploring the Internet, April, 1995
Where would we be without the internet? It’s hard to imagine what our day-to-day would look like without things like Wi-Fi and social media. But in April 1995, the world wide web was a novelty—so much so that we created a “guided tour” to explore “cyberspace’s new frontier.”
- Daisy Hernandez
Home Improvement: Storage Shed June, 1995
A clean, well executed shed is a thing of beauty—not to mention a great place to store your lawn mower. Merle Henkenius has written for us on every conceivable topic in the DIY realm. This shed he build is notable for nice proportions and excellent workmanship.
- Roy Berendsohn (Senior Home Editor)
Creation of the Humanoids, July, 1995
We were less worried about humanoid robots and AI taking over humanity in 1995 than we are now, but then again, our current tech is far more advanced, so maybe it’s a valid concern!
- Daisy Hernandez
The Heritage of Arts and Crafts Furniture, November, 1997
Neal Barrett’s suite of Mission Furniture stands out for both its sympathetic interpretation of that style but also its fidelity to it. This suite brought us a lot of attention from serious furniture makers, hobbyists and professionals alike.
- Roy Berendsohn
2000s
Miracles of the Next 50 Years, February, 2000
According to the graphics in the February 2000 spread, we thought we’d be living in a super futuristic utopia by 2050. While we’re not there just yet, some of the infrastructure looks like it’ll take a little longer than the next 28 years to get here. Still, we’re holding out hope that some of the predictions made in this issue could come true. We already have robotic surgeons and self-driving vehicles, after all.
- Daisy Hernandez
Roadmap to Mars, December, 2005
After the Moon landing, our next great unexplored frontier was Mars. In December 2005, Popular Mechanics spoke to NASA astronaut Buzz Aldrin, who unveiled his plans for our “next giant leap.” Since then, NASA has sent two rovers, Curiosity and Perseverance, to Mars, in an astounding feat of engineering, hard work, and collaboration. Plans are slowly underway to send the first humans. (Mars-obsessed Elon Musk may get there first.)
- Daisy Hernandez
2010s
The Oral History of the Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster, February, 2016
Christa McAuliffe, Gregory Jarvis, Ronald McNair, Ellison Onizuka, Judith Resnik, Michael Smith, and Commander Dick Scobee represented the strength of American society as the diverse set of crewmembers boarded the spaceship Challenger on January 28, 1986. But due to complications from cold weather, the shuttle broke apart into “long, grotesque fingers of white smoke in the sky above Cape Canaveral, Florida,” Popular Mechanics contributor Margaret Lazarus Dean wrote in 2016.
Dean’s piece is an oral history of that day’s tragic events, and her interviews uncovered new details about both the catastrophe, itself, and the investigation that followed.
- Courtney Linder (Senior Editor)
I Went on a Weeklong Cruise for Conspiracy Theorists, August, 2016
Aboard the cruise liner Ruby Princess, a group of nearly 100 conspiracy theorists convened for the first-ever Conspira-Sea Cruise—a “weeklong celebration of ‘alternative science’ hosted by a tour company called Divine Travels,” Popular Mechanics contributor Bronwen Dickey wrote in August 2016.
The group hotly debated everything from UFOs and GMOs, to government-mind control programs, and vaccines. The result? A truly curious adventure that feels like a symbol for today’s era of “fake news” and “alternative facts.”
- Courtney Linder
The Great Star Wars Heist, March 2019
It sounds cuckoo now, considering that Star Wars merch has moved over $20 billion in sales as of 2019, but when George Lucas's film premiered on May 25, 1977, it was unclear if the movie would even succeed. So when Kenner—a Cincinnati, Ohio-based toymaker—assumed the role of licensing and manufacturing action figures for beloved characters like Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Darth Vader, the company was nowhere near prepared for the influx of orders coming its way.
The following year, when Kenner finally delivered four action figures (of a proposed 12-piece set), sales hit a whopping 26 million units, igniting hobbyist collecting and then “a worldwide industry with insurance policies protecting collections worth millions and collectors chasing the rarest and most elusive pieces.” This tale follows those hobbyist collectors, plus a thief “hidden in plain sight” and “a rare plastic action figure worth more than your average car."
- Courtney Linder
2020s
How to Dodge the Sonic Weapon Used by Police, June, 2020
When an audio producer was reporting on the 2014 Black Lives Matter protests in New York City, he first encountered the long-range acoustic device (LRAD) that police had begun using. “Horrible, nauseating pain hit my body,” he told Popular Mechanics contributor Lynne Peskoe-Yang in June 2020, “and then I realized it was sound."
Peskoe-Yang’s piece would go on to win the Science in Society Journalism Award in the Science Reporting Category from the National Association of Science Writers, a Berkeley, California-based organization dedicated to the craft of science writing and editing. The piece delves into the way the sonic weapon works, its legality, and tips for dodging it yourself.
- Courtney Linder
What Really Happened at 777 Pine Street? August, 2021
One happy family of three, living in the salad days of young adulthood. Four bedrooms and 3,000 square feet of ranch-style house. A hulking (and non-negotiable) full-on rehab job on the horizon. Popular Mechanics contributor David Howard expected these facts when he began house-hunting in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley, about 50 miles north of Philadelphia.
But then weird things started piling up at 777 Pine Street: the built-in, creepy-as-hell panic room; lighting issues; a secret lookout built into the fireplace so that the previous owner could watch the neighborhood, and the mythology of said owner and his mysterious death.
- Courtney Linder
How To Build a Firewood Shack, September, 2020
There’s no sense in cutting all this firewood and then leaving it out in the weather. George Retseck and I collaborated on this firewood shed that’s still a favorite with our readers. Countless people have built it.
- Roy Berendsohn
Solid-State Batteries Are Here and They're Going to Change How We Live, December, 2021
Louisville, Colorado-based Solid Power accomplished a moonshot-level victory with its first full-size solid-state lithium-metal battery cells. The batteries represented a “10x jump in power (or 10x drop in size) from traditional lithium-ion cells,” Popular Mechanics contributor Caroline Delbert wrote in December 2021. This feature blew up, becoming one of the most-read stories on our website for weeks. After you finish this deep dive into the new lithium cells—which can last 25 years, charge an electric vehicle in minutes, and can't start a fire—check out our follow-up Q&A with the guru of solid-state lithium batteries.
- Courtney Linder
