American engineer Percy Spencer is generally credited with inventing the modern microwave oven after World War II from radar technology developed during the war. Named the “Radarange”, it was first sold in 1946.Click to see full answer. Similarly, you may ask, what were microwaves originally used for?Despite the potential for near-instant snack food, the first commercial Radarange microwave ovens unveiled by Raytheon in 1946 were intended for use in restaurants (as in the photo at top, which shows a prototype called the “Raydarange”) and for reheating meals on airplanes.Also Know, how did microwaves change the world? Microwave ovens heat foods quickly and efficiently, making them a common if not extremely common object you’ll encounter in a kitchen. The magnetron would then shoot into the metal box, so that the electromagnetic waves would have no way to escape, thus creating extreme heat! Beside this, when did the microwave become popular? 1967,Who improved the microwave?Spencer discovered that microwaves could cook food faster than convention ovens that used heat. He filed a patent application in 1945. (Spencer went on to receive 150 patents throughout his career, according to the National Inventors Hall of Fame. He died in 1970.)