Ancient Rome's Ingenious Invention: The World’s First Vending Machine Dispensed Holy Water!

A fun fact about the Roman Empire is that they had an early form of "vending machines." Invented by the engineer Hero of Alexandria around the 1st century AD, these machines dispensed holy water in exchange for a coin. When a coin was inserted, it would press down on a lever, allowing a specific amount of water to flow out. This ingenious invention is one of the earliest known examples of a vending machine!