When did the first vending machine appear?

The earliest known vending device was described by Hero of Alexandria in the first century, a machine that released a measured amount of holy water when a coin was dropped in. The first modern commercial vending machine appeared in London around 1883, invented by Percival Everitt to sell postcards and envelopes. The idea spread quickly to railway stations and post offices across Britain. In the United States the Thomas Adams Gum Company installed machines selling chewing gum on New York train platforms in 1888. Vending machines went on to sell everything from stamps and drinks to snacks and electronics.