E-cigs and vaporizer pens have been long in the making—almost 100 years, in fact. While these devices exploded into popularity on the American market in the 2000s, their journey began in 1927.

Joseph Robinson first created an electric vaporizer to be used with medicinal compounds, and almost a century later, his designs are evident in today’s modern e-cig devices.

In 1963, Herbert A. Gilbert drew up plans for a smokeless cigarette, and thirty years later, a variety of patents were drawn up for cigarette substitutes and novel electronic cigarette designs. By 2004, Chinese consumers could purchase e-cigs, and two years later they were available in European stores.

In 2007, American consumers had access to e-cigs, as well.

In 2009, Governor Schwarzenegger denied a ban on the sale of e-cigs in California, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled against the FDA, saying that the organization couldn’t ban e-cigs as unapproved drug delivery devices. These decisions would cement the popularity of e-cigs and vaping devices in the U.S.

E-cigs continue to appear on television and the silver screen, and every day, more smokers switch to using them. Public Health England recently found e-cigs are up to 95% safer than traditional tobacco products, and with a bevy of new products in constant production, their popularity is sure to grow.

Check out this cool infographic by Njoy, which gives a nice visual of the history of the e-cig: