The man officially credited with inventing the vacuum cleaner is Hubert Cecil
Booth.  However, he got the idea from a man who *almost* invented it.

In 1901 Booth visited a London music hall.  On the bill was an American
inventor with his wonder machine for removing dust from carpets.

The machine comprised a box about one foot square with a bag on top.  After
watching the act -- which made everyone in the front six rows sneeze -- Booth
went round to the inventor's dressing room.

'It should suck not blow,' said Booth, coming straight to the point.  'Suck?'
exclaimed the enraged inventor.  'Your machine just moves the dust around the
room,' Booth informed him.  'Suck? Suck? Sucking is not possible,' was the
inventor's reply, and he stormed out.  Booth proved that it was possible by
the simple expedient of kneeling down, pursing his lips and sucking the back
of an armchair.  'I almost choked,' he said afterwards.

       (from "The Incomplete Book of Failures")

2 responses total.

 Women have understood the physics involved for over 100 years.

Hmmm...sometimes you don't raise the bridge, you lower the river...
Interesting story.  Are there other examples of "near misses" (surely
there are)?

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