Glasses are the most common optical device in the world designed for vision correction. When and by whom this accessory was invented is not known for certain. However, there is a version that back in the 1st century AD, scientists noticed that glass and some precious stones increase the size of objects.
Thus, Emperor Neon himself watched the gladiatorial battles through a large emerald, which he carried with him everywhere.
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During excavations at Troy on the Aegean coast, paleontologists unearthed several tombs, one of which contained rock crystal lenses. Unfortunately, it cannot be said with certainty that ancient people used them as an optical instrument. Perhaps it was a beautiful accessory or an object used to make fire.
The glasses of the ancient Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun, one of the first to appear in the world, were found in his tomb. Their frame consisted of bronze, and the glass was replaced by very thin cuts of emerald.
The medieval Arab mechanic and astronomer Ibn al-Haytham, who accidentally broke a glass ball, proved that if you observe an object through glass shards, they change shape. It was this scientist who proved at the beginning of the 11th century AD: when you read a text through a spherical piece of glass, the letters become larger. He is the author of a colossal work on optics, consisting of seven books. In addition, it was he who decided to use a glass ball as a magnifying glass and use it to improve the vision of older people.
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This discovery could not be completed for several more decades. All this time, people still used small pieces of glass, holding them only to one eye.
Only in 1240 did European monks make something like a modern magnifying glass and actively use it in practice.
In 1285, the first modern glasses made of molten glass and metal frames appeared in Italy. They were invented by a famous glassmaker of that era, but transparent lenses in glasses began to be used much later.
Glasses for people suffering from myopia appeared only in the 16th century: before that, only farsightedness had been studied, and, accordingly, glasses were intended for people specifically with this disease.
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Sunglasses, without which modern people cannot imagine their lives, appeared relatively recently compared to the first optics. There is a version that, while preparing a campaign against Egypt, Napoleon ordered all his soldiers to wear glasses to protect their eyes from the scorching African sun. Optical glasses were covered with soot and varnish, which greatly impaired the vision and visibility of military personnel.
Full sunglasses were developed during World War I for military pilots. They protected the pilots' eyes not only from blinding sunlight, but also from UV radiation. This accessory was inexpensive, and wearing aviators was useful and prestigious.
Today, millions of people around the world enjoy wearing sunglasses; they are not only an element of style, but also perfectly protect their eyes from the sun's rays.
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