While the first known invention of a toilet dates back to 1700 BC, have you ever wondered who invented the standard flushing toilet we all use today?
It is commonly believed that Thomas Crapper designed the first flushing toilet in the 1860s. It was actually invented by a man named Sir John Harrington about 300 years earlier during the 16th century in 1596. Sir John Harrington was the godson of Queen Elizabeth I and an amateur poet. He had been banished from court for telling risqué stories and during his banishment he built himself a house. Inside the house he built a water closet that included what we know now as a flushing toilet. His design included a raised cistern with an opening at the bottom that was sealed with a leather faced valve. It also included a small downpipe which water ran through using a system of handles, levers and weights to flush the waste away. He showed off his invention to his godmother, Queen Elizabeth I, and made her one as well. Unfortunately his invention was ignored for almost 200 years until 1775 when Alexander Cummings of London had his flushing toilet patented.
Next time you visit "The John", "The Crapper", or sit upon your "Throne" consider how far toilet designs have come and where their nicknames originated.
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