Thomas Crapper Day – January 27, 2025

History of Thomas Crapper Day

Since the beginning of human existence, there has been human excretion. For many years, and even today in certain developing countries, humans were compelled to excrete openly. This was unhygienic and dangerous as it led to many fecal-oral and waterborne diseases. Very early on, people recognized the need for proper sanitation. Around fourth century B.C., sewers and toilets were invented in Mesopotamia. The Indus Valley Civilization housed the first urban sanitation system, and Mohenjodaro built toilets into the walls of houses. The Roman Civilization used latrines and the Greeks started to use chamber pots. These early toilets often employed some sort of flushing or flowing water mechanism, however, there were also many versions of dry toilets.

In modern history, chamber pots, cesspits, and cesspools were used for a long time. It wasn’t until the 19th century that health experts emphasized sanitation and pushed for the development of an underground network of pipes to carry away solid and liquid waste. Known as the water closet back then, this new toilet system didn’t become widely used until the late 19th century. Toilets had been invented, but the emergence of Thomas Crapper in the toilet world sped things up. In the 1880s, he set up The Crapper & Co. showroom in London. He patented and manufactured sanitary appliances such as pipe joints, drain improvements, manhole covers, and water closet improvements like the floating ballcock.

Thomas Crapper did not invent the first water closet, but he perfected and promoted it immensely. Through his bathroom fixture showrooms, he popularized flush toilets like no other. Fast forward to today, water closets are widespread in different parts of the world, and Thomas Crapper played a role in making toilets the way we know them today.