As with most things, the history of contact lenses is debatable, as different accounts filter through as the years go by. Some say that as early as the 1500's, Leonardo da Vinci made sketches depicting how the focus of the eye could be changed if the cornea was placed in water. Obviously, real contact lenses weren't around until much, much later but this early story shows that the concept may have been. No one can know for sure the exact sequence of events that brought the contact lens into prominence, but the general timeline and history of contact lenses is agreed upon by most in the industry.
In 1827, a man named John Herschel may have made the first real contact lens suggestion. Herschel suggested that a lens should be developed to be placed over the eye to correct vision. He thought if a plastic mold of a typical eye were made, it would act as the perfect vehicle to have a proper lens created.
The first real contact lenses were produced somewhere around 1887 or 1888. The names of Germans FA Mueller, Adolf Fick and Edouard Kalt come up when discussion of the first contact lenses come up, but debate exists over which one or which combination were actually the ones who got the job done. Most likely, those first contact lenses were a far cry from the soft, comfortable contacts of today, but they were the beginning of the industry.
A man named Kevin Tuohy produced the first hard contact lenses in 1948. Hard contacts are also called rigid or gas permeable contact lenses, and generally allow more oxygen into the eye than today's soft contact lenses. They are also less comfortable than soft contacts, and the hard contacts made in 1948 were probably even less so. The first soft contact lenses didn't come along until 1959, and were invented by two Czechoslovakian chemists. The soft contacts were made of hydrogel and offered a comfortable alternative to hard lenses.
After those first hard and soft contact lenses were brought into the marketplace, more changes started to happen to get things where they are today. The first FDA approved soft contacts were introduced in the US in 1971. Over a period of a few years starting in 1979, new additions were added to the contact lens market to give wearers greater selection and versatility. In 1979, RGP contact lenses were introduced, with extended wear soft contacts shortly after in 1981. After that in 1982, bifocal contact lenses were introduced as an alternative to having to wear bifocal glasses. RGP extended wear contact lenses were brought into the marketplace sometime in 1986. In 1987, life became a whole lot easier for many contact lens wearers, as disposable soft contacts were introduced. Daily disposable lenses didn't come out until 1995. The world of contact lenses will likely continue to change and evolve, as the history of these little medical devices is far from complete.
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