Dr. John Gorrie patents a "refrigeration machine" - May 6, 1851

Dr. John Gorrie excelled in many areas; he was a humanitarian, a scientist, inventor and a doctor during his lifetime. Born in 1802, he grew up in South Carolina and studied medicine at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of the Western District of New York. He later relocated to Florida and became active in the community and was the chief physician for two Apalachicola-based hospitals. In an attempt to help cool the air in his hospitals, Gorrie began using compressor technology to create ice in 1842. He envisioned that one day his technology would be used to cool down the temperature of entire buildings. His ‘ice maker’ was based on research by Michael Faraday, a British scientist who found that compressing ammonia could cool down air when the ammonia evaporated.

Gorrie’s received a patent for this technology on May 6, 1851. Gorrie’s invention later led to not only the modern day refrigerator but also to modern air conditioning techniques. He is known as the father of air conditioning and refrigeration technology. Unfortunately, his idea did not catch on at the time and he never saw the benefits from his invention.

http://www.knowsouthernhistory.net/Biographies/John_Gorrie/