In 1953, a retired industrial engineer named John Hendrick had a lightbulb moment and patented the first car airbag. Fast forward a couple of decades, and GM offered them in some models, but let’s just say they were like a soufflé—prone to deflation. It wasn’t until 1981 that Mercedes-Benz introduced an airbag that actually worked without a hitch. By 1998, dual front seat airbags became mandatory in the U.S., ensuring that our cars were prepared for anything—except maybe driving through a marshmallow factory!