The Invention of the First Flushing Toilet
One of the most important things about modern toilets is that they flush. After all, we need to keep them clean. The first mention of a flushing toilet came from Sir John Harington in 1596. He was the godson of Queen Elizabeth I of England. Harington’s device included a 2-foot-deep oval bowl. It was waterproofed, and fed by water from an upstairs cistern. This design required 7.5 gallons of water to flush. Since this was before indoor plumbing, Harington suggested that up to 20 people could use the toilet before it was time to flush. He even installed a working version of the flushing toilet for Queen Elizabeth at Richmond Palace.