Answer:
The Langstroth hive is probably the commonest hive throughout the world, particularly in the United States. It was developed in the mid 1850's by the Reverend Lorenzo Langstroth who recognized the importance of 'bee space' and movable frames. Previously, bees had been kept in straw skeps and had to be driven away at the end of the summer so that the beeeeper could extract the honey harvest. By having movable frames the beekeeper can remove the honey without losing the bees. Most other hives in use today are derived from the same basic principle as the Langstroth hive and a non-beekeper wouldn't know the difference. In the last few years, some new beekeepers have been experimenting with 'frameless' hives again but haven't been particularly successful.