On a hot day when the air is thick and still, it helps to have a fan, giving the illusion that the atmosphere is filled with fresh air. The first fan to come into existence was discovered by ancient Egyptians in 4000 BC. The servants of Egyptian elites would fan them with palm leaves. This is according to Quora, a knowledge exchange platform.

Later, the Chinese made hand-painted fans that became popular in Europe in the 1400s. This is according to Airserv, a company that deals in heating and air conditioning appliances.

Next came ceiling fans. A brief history provided by Atomberg technologies, an electrical appliance company indicates that during the Roman Empire, there were human-powered ceiling fans. They operated in such a way that a cloth-covered frame hung from the ceiling and would move if/when a person pulled a cord.

Millennia later, in the 1860s, ceiling fans powered by a stream of running water and turbines became popular in the United States of America. They were used in restaurants, offices and other public places.

In 1882, the electricfan was invented. According to Inventions, a platform for knowledge about innovations, the electric fan was invented by Schuyler Wheeler, an American electrical engineer who was twenty-two at the time.

Wheeler’s fan, according to Reference, a general knowledge website, had two blades that were turned on using an electric motor.

A few years later,Philip H. Diehl an American inventor made the electric ceiling fan by putting a fan blade on a sewing machine motor and then attaching it to the ceiling. Diehl received a patent for making electrical ceiling fans in 1889. In 1907, Diehl gave ceiling fans the rotating effect. By 1910, electric ceiling fans were popular and they were used in many places, including homes.

In 1932, according to the online-based Antique Fan Collectors Association, the Silver Swan, a caged propellant fan was made by an American electrical company.

Ceiling fans continued to be popular until the 1960s when air conditioning was introduced. However, because air conditioners consumed a lot of energy, ceiling fans became popular again. This is according to Airserv.

In the 1990s, when the cost of air conditioning reduced, the market for ceiling fans dropped again.

Now, most modern commercial buildings and sophisticated homes use air conditioners. Those who cannot afford air conditioning sometimes opt for the simpler and cheaper caged oscillating propellant fans.