15 Forgotten Inventions That Once Made National Headlines
From rocket-powered belts to water-fueled cars, these forgotten inventions once promised to change the world but faded into obscurity, leaving behind a trail of unfulfilled dreams and what-ifs.
- Alyana Aguja
- 6 min read
Over the course of time, there have been thousands of inventions that have caused a splash, drawing the public imagination with visions of revolutionary innovation. From the 1940s’ flying cars to the strange Tickle Machine of the 1960s, these innovations previously made the headlines, sparking dreams of a future that never came. Though many of them disappeared into the ether, they still stand as intriguing annotation in the history of human creativity, telling us of the narrow divide between genius and the unlikely.
1. The Flying Car (Aerocar, 1940s-1950s)
Image from MotorTrend
Moulton Taylor designed the Aerocar, a car that could transform into a small airplane. This car created a buzz in the 1940s and ’50s by promising to revolutionize transportation by providing the convenience of road and air travel. Though it passed numerous tests, the Aerocar never saw mass production, with only a few ever being produced, and its dreams of flight remained grounded.
2. The Electric Face Mask (1930s)
Image from Reddit
During the 1930s, an invention was heralded as a beauty treatment — the “Electric Face Mask.” This strange invention consisted of a mask with electrical pads pressed onto your face to make your muscles move, supposedly diminishing wrinkles and complexion. Although hailed as a revolutionary step in skincare, its effectiveness was questionable, and it eventually died out.
3. The X-15 Rocket Plane (1950s-1970s)
Image from Wikipedia
A joint venture between the U.S. Air Force and NASA, the X-15 was a rocket-powered plane that could fly to the boundary of space. During the 1960s, it was the buzz of aviation and space travel, breaking records in speed and altitude. However, after a series of pioneering flights, the program was shut down, eclipsed by the Apollo space program.
4. The Soap Box Car (1920s)
Image from Smithsonian Magazine
The Soap Box Car, a mini, gravity-run car constructed by kids, gained popularity all across the country during the 1920s. This was an age when automakers liked to promote and challenge young minds to develop these primitive cars. Soap Box Derbies were covered on national TV, and the creation fueled a movement, only to fade in popularity once automobiles became available in motorized versions.
5. The Ford Nucleon (1958)
Image from American Nuclear Society
The Ford Nucleon was an experimental car that would have utilized a miniaturized nuclear reactor as fuel, an innovative suggestion of the 1950s. The automobile would have been the epitome of energy economy, running on a promise for years without stopping for fueling. Though its excitement generated massive hype, fears concerning the safety of nuclear energy and its unreality saw its concept being shunned even before the creation of a prototype.
6. The Segway (2001)
Image from Museum of Failure
When Dean Kamen debuted the Segway in 2001, it was touted as the future of transportation, promising to revolutionize city movement. The personal transport machine was a national news story, promising to transform how we move through cities. However, while early hype arose, Segway did not achieve mass market status, eventually consigning it to specialized markets and tour operations.
7. The Jet Belt (1960s)
Image from Paleofuture
Also known as the “rocket belt,” the Jet Belt was developed in the 1960s and generated excitement about personal flying devices. It utilized small rockets to propel the wearer a few feet into the air, sparking the imagination of a future in which humans could soar through the air just like walking. However, the brevity of flight time and its dangerousness held it back from being a mainstream hit, with the public fascinated but ultimately turning away.
8. The Phonofax (1920s)
Image from Pinterest
A forerunner to the modern fax machine, the Phonofax appeared during the 1920s as a means of transmitting photographic pictures via telephone wires. It then caused a big splash as a highly futuristic device. Unfortunately, the technologies of the time and the dawn of other communications techniques resulted in its downfall, and it became extinct before faxing became standard.
9. The DeLorean Time Machine (1985)
Image from Wikipedia
Although fictional, the DeLorean Time Machine in Back to the Future became such an iconic “invention” that it mesmerized the general public in the 1980s. They thought time travel was real, particularly with a futuristic DeLorean sports car adapted with a flux capacitor. Everyone talked about the idea and enjoyed it, yet it is only part of pop culture and not reality.
10. The Autogiro (1920s)
Image from Flite Test
The Autogiro, a half-airplane, half-helicopter, was created in the 1920s by Juan de la Cierva. It was an aviation sensation, able to take off and land vertically, and was a strong possibility for the future of air transportation. Unfortunately, it never became widely commercially successful, and the helicopter took its place in popularity.
11. The Jetson’s Car (The “Skycar,” 1960s)
Image from WSJ
The concept of flying automobiles, such as those in The Jetsons, captured the imagination in the 1960s. Engineers and futurists proposed concepts for a “Skycar” that would enable ordinary citizens to travel to work in the air. Technical issues and safety problems brought the Skycar concept back down to earth, leaving it as a vision of future living.
12. The Water-Powered Car (2000s)
Image from Reddit
During the early 2000s, a man called Stan Meyer came up with a car that he said could use only water. The car would supposedly electrolyze water into hydrogen fuel, which would provide an eco-friendly substitute for gasoline. Although it had initial media buzz and interest, skepticism and accusations of fraud tainted the invention, and Meyer’s mysterious death added to the enigma.
13. The Vortex Cannon (1920s)
Image from Weapons and Warfare
The Vortex Cannon was a bizarre invention that gained national interest in the 1920s. It was a device designed to shoot a ring of air capable of extinguishing fires, blowing out candles, and even knocking down small objects. Despite its initial success in demonstrations, it was never mass-produced or used beyond novelty applications.
14. The House of the Future (1957)
Image from Iconic Houses
General Electric’s House of the Future, introduced at the 1957 American National Exhibition, was a vision of a world where houses were entirely automated and constructed of new materials such as plastic and aluminum. It included built-in appliances, air conditioning, and even a futuristic aesthetic. However, as technology progressed, the vision of the house became outdated in the housing market, and it was now more of an oddity than a realistic model for the future.
15. The Tickle Machine (1960s)
Image from Marco Bucci
The Tickle Machine was a bizarre invention that sought to induce laughter through mechanical stimulation artificially. Designed to generate laughter for therapeutic or entertainment purposes, it made waves when it was first introduced, but it quickly faded as people grew skeptical of its claims and found the contraption more uncomfortable than amusing. Despite its moment of fame, the Tickle Machine remains largely forgotten today.