On this date in 1914, the world’s first electric traffic light was put into place on the corner of Euclid Avenue and East 105th Street in Cleveland, Ohio. Automobile traffic had greatly increased on the roads of America, and it had become apparent that some kind of regulation was necessary to reduce congestion on the streets. This signal used red and green lights with a buzzer that warned when the color was about to change, and it also allowed police and fire stations to control the signals in case there was some kind of emergency. So the next time you get tired of waiting at a traffic light remember where it came from!
For more info:
http://www.edn.com/electronics-blogs/edn-moments/4419285/1st-electric-traffic-light-system-installed–August-5–1914
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/first-electric-traffic-signal-installed
