Re-produced with permission, courtesy of the Ontario Plumbing Inspectors Association – www.opia.info
The following image is of an early toilet circa 1785, taken from the pages of a French book on architecture.
The caption at top, loosely translated is: Developments of the interior of a bench used in “garderobes” known under the name of place valves.
Toilet History
1000 BC
In the Bahrein Island in the Persian Gulf,
flush type toilet was discovered.
69 AD
Vespasianus (Otto Empire) for the first time
levied Tax on Toilets.
1214 AD
Construction for the first time of public toilets manned
by scavengers in Europe.
1596 AD
JD Harrington invents W.C.
1668 AD
Edict issued by Police Commissioner Paris,
construction of Toilets in all houses.
1728 AD
Architect J.F. Brondel argues that attached toilet is ideal.
1739 AD
First separate toilet for men and women
appear at a ball in Paris.
1824 AD
First Public Toilet in Paris.
1859 AD
Toilet of Queen Victoria is decorated with gold.
1883 AD
First Ceramic Toilet by Thomas Turiferd for Queen Victoria.
1889 AD
Sewage Treatment for the first time in the world.
1959 AD
All surface Toilets abandoned (Paris).
1970 AD
Sulabh International is established by Bindeshwar Pathak,
as a non-profit NGO in Bihar.
1980 AD
Installation of Auto-control Public Toilet.