In medieval Europe, castles and churches used small panes of glass held together by lead strips. The larger the window, the richer the owner was perceived to be. Some nobles even took their glass windows with them when they traveled!
The earliest known man-made glass objects were beads created around 3500 BCE in Mesopotamia. These tiny beads were likely accidental discoveries, born from the intense heat of pottery kilns melting sand and other materials.
The invention of the glassblowing pipe in the 1st century BCE revolutionized glass production. Before this, glassmaking was slow and labor-intensive. With the pipe, artisans could create intricate shapes and larger pieces.
During the 17th century, England imposed a "window tax" based on the number of windows in a building. To avoid paying, many homeowners bricked up their windows, leading to darker, less ventilated homes.
Thanks to advancements in tempering and laminating, glass can now withstand extreme forces, making it a key material in skyscrapers and even bulletproof designs.
The world's largest flat glass manufacturer produces enough glass every year to cover 10,000 football fields. That's a lot of windows, mirrors, and smartphone screens!