Support WBUR3, 2, 1 ... Beeeep! Your Microwave's 50th Anniversary Is ReadyPlay07:18Download AudioBarry GordemerSeptember 04, 2017 ShareThe Amana Radarange was born of a happy accident caused by an engineer who was working for the defense contractor Raytheon in the 1940s. (Courtesy of The Smithsonian Institution)