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.
Microwave buying guide. If you're in the market for a new microwave, but feel overwhelmed by the choices -- don't despair. We're here to break it all down for you. The microwave is a kitchen staple, but it wasn't always so. These handy kitchen appliances were actually developed by accident shortly after World War II by a man named Dr. Percy Spencer. Dr. Spencer worked for Raytheon, a company that supplied many of the magnetron tubes used in US and British radars during the war.