Milestones in Scuba History

Note: Click on the year to see the link from where I gathered the information, or refer to the footnotes at the end.

1878¹

Henry Fleuss receives a patent for his self-contained breathing device, and tests it by breathing underwater.

1911²

The company Draeger (or Dräger) in Germany releases an underwater oxygen rebreather, which recycles air so to re-breathe the same air. (See photo below.)

Source: Draeger History²

1924³

Yves Le Prieur creates a breathing device that does not recycle air, and it becomes known as "the forerunner of modern scuba." 

1933⁴

Fins are first patented in France and then in the US by Louis Corlieu, and the fins are made of rubber strengthened by steel.

1940⁵

Rubber fins are patented by Owen Churchill, as an improvement of Corlieu's fins. (See photo below.)

Source: Smithsonian⁵

1942⁶
The design of the aqualung is improved by Jacques Cousteau throughout the 1940s, and hits the market by the 1950s. (See advertisement below.)

Source: My Watch

1956⁷

The red-and-white dive flag (still used today) becomes popularized by Ted Nixon, even though Denzel James "Doc" Dockery invented the design. 

1961⁸

NASDS (National Association of Scuba Diving Schools) is founded.

1966⁹

The Professional Association of Diving Instructors, or PADI, is founded.

1970⁸

SSI (Scuba Schools International) is founded.

Footnotes

[1] Henry Fleuss. (2010, November 15). Wikipedia. Retrieved February 27, 2011, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Fleuss

[2] History About Dräger. (2011). Dräger. Retrieved February 26, 2011, from http://www.draeger.com/US/en_US/company/about_draeger/history/

[3] The History of Scuba Diving. (n.d.). Best Scuba Diving Tips. Retrieved February 27, 2011, from http://www.best-scuba-diving-tips.com/history-of-scuba-diving.html

[4] Thomas Tillman. (2010). Timeline of Diving History. Diving History. Retrieved February 26, 2011, from http://www.divinghistory.com/id11.html

[5] Owen Churchill. (n.d.). Smithsonian. Retrieved February 27, 2011, from http://americanhistory.si.edu/sports/exhibit/removers/churchill/index.cfm

[6] Scuba Diving. (2008, April 2). New World Encyclopedia. Wiki, . Retrieved February 27, 2011, from http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Scuba_diving

[7] Chris Whitten. (n.d.). Dive Flags. Retrieved February 27, 2011, from http://www.dive-flag.com/

[8] Recreational Diving. (2011, February 18). Wikipedia. Retrieved February 27, 2011, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recreational_diving

[9] About PADI. (2011). PADI. Retrieved February 27, 2011, from http://www.padi.com/scuba/about-padi/default.aspx