When was the vacuum cleaner invented?

The first vacuum cleaner was called the Whirlwind and was invented in Chicago, Ill., by Ives W. McGaffey in 1865. This vacuum cleaner required the user to manually turn a crank while pushing it at the same time, which made it difficult to use.

Only two known examples of the Whirlwind still exist today. One is located in the Hoover Historical Center in Canton, Ohio, and the other example belongs to a private collection. There is not a lot known about the Whirlwind, with most of the inventor's inventory having been destroyed in the great Chicago fire. The Whirlwind was made from mostly wood and canvas.