The year was 1851. Millions of people from all over Europe were gathered in London, England. They were there to see an exhibit of the world’s most fascinating items.
There were beautiful stuffed zebras from Africa. There were statues carved out of white marble. There was even an enormous diamond—the largest on Earth!
But it was a very plain item that truly amazed the crowds. Over five months, 675,000 people waited in line to use it.
This popular item wasn’t anything that would look very special to you. It was a toilet that flushed. Why was that such a big deal?