How Americans stayed cool before air conditioning: From sitting on smelly ice to sleeping on the roof

Photo: Iceman and helper with Jamaica Pond Ice Co. wagon, Boston, Massachusetts – 1890s. Photo credit: Charles Henry Currier, 1851-1938 via Library of Congress Online Catalog – Digital ID ppmsca 49551. No known restrictions on publication. Article by Mack DeGeurin. Popular Science – August 19, 2026.

To say Summer 2026 has been a scorcher would be an understatement. In Europe, prolonged heat waves and record-setting hot days have crossed the threshold from unpleasant to deadly. This year alone, Europe has already reported around 25,000 heat related deaths. And more heat waves are on the way. The United States hasn’t escaped unscathed, but it’s managed to mitigate the heat’s lethality thanks in large part to widely accessible air conditioning. […]

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