Primitive umbrellas have been used for more than 2,000 years. However, the type of umbrella we use today was designed less than 3 hundred years ago. Our present umbrella is made of steel covered with cloth. It was first produced in the late 1700's. This umbrella was invented by six men, working together, and the product was so popular that each inventor made more than a million dollars. The invention of the parachute is believed to have come from the design of the umbrella.