Who Invented Vaping? Who Invented the Vape?

So you want to learn more about vaping, the history behind it, and the people who reinvented the technology over the years?

Well, I certainly hope so, since you,re reading this! There is a surprising amount of information to cover, but we,re going to keep it short and sweet for you. Take five minutes to read this and you,ll be more informed than most people who say vaping is a modern fad.

Ancient History of Vaping

Vape technology isn,t a new invention, everyone. In fact, ancient historical texts show that even the ancient Egyptians used hot stones to vaporize herbs. Shisha, which is basically hookah, was introduced to India several thousand years ago.
Why are we telling you this? Because history is fun. Well, maybe that,s just us. Or just me; it,s probably just me. Also, it,s important to remind everyone that vape technology has been around for millennia. Think about that. Doesn,t that blow your mind?

Modern History of Vaping

A lot of people think that the concept of vaporizing technology was invented in the early 2000s. It,s not true. Joseph Robinson came up with the idea of the electronic cigarette in 1927, but no one bought into the idea. It,s a shame, really, because smoking was all the rage back then. He could have helped save a lot of lives.
Thankfully the idea to vaporize things in cool devices didn,t die with Robinson. I mean, it was a great idea, right? So here comes Herbert Gilbert, the man who is credited with inventing vaping. This happened in 1963; yeah, you read that right. That was 55 years ago. And in 1965, he patented his “smokeless non-tobacco cigarette' invention.
Too bad the FDA didn,t think enough of the invention back then to allow him to mass market his invention.
In the 1980s, Phil Ray and Normal Jacobson tried to make vape devices, including the first form of eliquid, more market-friendly. Again, the FDA said no thanks. Even in the 1990s, when tobacco companies were trying to get a federally-approved electronic cigarette on the public market, the FDA held firm and refused the application.

The Modern Father of the Vaping Industry

The year is now 2003, and we are in China. A Chinese pharmacist named Hon Lik invented the modern version of vaping, which included the technology to vaporize an eliquid that contains nicotine. It is first released in China in 2004 to widespread success. In 2006, Lik,s employers, the Ruyan Group, introduce his invention to Europe, which was then followed by the first appearance in America in 2007.
Lik,s motivation for building a vape device? His father passed away from smoking-related lung cancer. Lik wanted to create a device that honored his father and could save lives. It,s a bittersweet reason, but I think we can all thank Lik for his passion and commitment to finding a solution, right?
This short history lesson was created to point two things out to all of you awesome vapers. The first is that vape technology has been around for a long time. The second is that a man who lost his father to a smoking-related disease built the first modern vape device to give people an alternative to traditional smoking.
We hope this was fun, short, and informative. We know you,re all grown-ups, but hey, learning is fun, right? Now you know the history of your favorite hobby and now when people say it,s just a modern trend, you can direct them to this piece here and say, think again.