Coming just two decades after the last great global conflict, the Second World War was the most widespread and deadliest war in history, involving more than 30 countries and resulting in more than 50 million military and civilian deaths (with some estimates as high as 85 million dead).
Myths were melting away, and doubt was turning into demand. By 1975, sales of microwave ovens would, for the first time, exceed that of gas ranges. The following year, a reported 17% of all homes in Japan were doing their cooking by microwaves, compared with 4% of the homes in the United States the same year.
This would vary by country, In the US, the rate of adoption once cheaper models became available in the late 1970s was rapid: Figure 1 shows that as recently as 1979. less than ten percent of U,S. households owned. microwave ovens.