The Economic Times

In 1945, Percy Spencer noticed something unusual while working on radar equipment: the candy bar in his pocket had melted. The engineer began experimenting with popcorn and an egg, eventually setting him on the path to developing the microwave oven.

In 1945, Percy Spencer made a casual observation that led to a major change in food preparation. Standing next to a magnetron one day, he noticed that a candy bar in his pocket melted. This caused him to wonder if the energy from radio waves could be used to cook food. He placed popcorn kernels near the tube; within minutes, he was snacking on the world's first microwave popcorn.