The first electric fan was invented in 1882 by Philip Diehl, an employee of the Singer Manufacturing Company who produced sewing machines. He attached a fan blade to a sewing machine motor and mounted it to the ceiling. It was certainly one of the “coolest” inventions of the 19th century.
In the 1920’s, Ralph K. Odor, an inventor seeking to improve propellor aircraft design, realized that his invention could revolutionize the electric fan industry. He partnered with O.A. Sutton to produce air circulators that didn’t just direct air at a single point, they allowed air to be continuously circulated throughout a room by creating a “vortex” of air. Their company became Vornado.