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Knocker uppers and candle clocks: how people woke up before alarm clocksFrom candles that drop metal nails to the knocker uppers of industrial Britain, people found clever ways to wake up on time.- ⏰ Before alarm clocks existed, people still needed to wake up on time for work, so they invented clever tricks.
- 🪟 In Britain, people called knocker uppers walked the streets early in the morning, tapping on windows with long sticks to wake workers.
- 🫛 Some knocker uppers even blew dried peas through a tube at bedroom windows to rattle them awake!
- 🕯️ Others used candle clocks, candles that melted down and dropped a metal nail onto a plate with a clang at the right time.
- 🏭 These jobs were especially important during the Industrial Revolution, when factory workers could not be late.
