Origins

Renaissance thinkers like Leonardo da Vinci and Rene Descartes came up with the general idea for contact lenses, but limited by the technology of the time, they were not able to actually make working ones.

Invention

In the early 19th century, scientists Thomas Young and Sir John Herschel came up with the idea for a liquid-filled lens that would be molded to the shape of the eye. It was not until 1888, however, that Adolf Eugen Fick, a German physiologist, constructed the first true contact lens.

Development

Fick's lenses were made of heavy glass and covered all of the visible surface of the eye and so could only be worn for a few hours at a time. In 1936, optometrist William Feinbloom started making parts of his lenses out of plastic, making them much lighter, and in 1949, lenses that only covered part of the eye were developed.

Gas Permeable

In the 1970s, hard contact lenses that still allowed some gas to pass through were developed. These lenses solved a recurring problem of older lenses, making them less damaging to wear for long periods.

Soft Contact Lenses

In 1959, the Czech chemists Otto Wichterle and Drahoslav Lim invented soft contact lenses. These are made out of a softer, more comfortable material.

Source:

History of Contact Lenses