The increase in life expectancy during the 20th century is largely due to improvements in child survival; this increase is associated with reductions in infectious disease mortality, due largely to immunization.1 However, infectious diseases remain a major cause of illness, disability, and death.
The First Mowers. The lawn mower was invented in 1830 by Edwin Beard Budding, an engineer from Stroud, Gloucestershire, England. He obtained the idea after seeing a machine in a local cloth mill which used a cutting cylinder (or bladed reel) mounted on a bench to trim cloth to make a smooth finish after weaving.
Husqvarna opened its doors in 1689 as a weapons foundry, eventually delving into sewing machine, kitchen equipment, and bicycle and motorcycle production. In 1918, when the company acquired the Swedish company, Norrahammars Bruk, it added lawn mowers, the human-powered variety, to the growing list of products.