Farmington, CT (NBC) - As a heat wave continues to grip the East Coast, people are trying to stay cool.
And they can, thanks to the invention of one man.
Willis Haviland Carrier may be one of the coolest inventors of all time. He invented air conditioning 109 years ago.
It's something they celebrate everyday at the Carrier's world headquarters in Farmington, Connecticut, honoring the so-called father of cool with a replica of his one-time office.
Ironically, Carrier did not invent air conditioning for people, but for a printing business that needed to stay cool.
For decades it was not readily adopted for home use.
"It was slow to take off because of the Depression, and then of course World War II happened," explains Carrier's John Mandyck.
Air conditioning became a hit after it transformed the movie industry.
Today we find people going to the movies just to cool down, but before air conditioning, theaters used to shut down for the summer.
NBC
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