I first learned to work on them in highschool auto mechanics and hated them right off the bat. The sliding of aggravating, uncooperative springs onto the pegs/attachment points, then all the adjuster stuff coming loose, etc is just a pain in the ass. I don't know why people didn't figure out disc brakes first, they make so much more sense.
The first car credited with having disc brakes was the 1902 Lanchester (British).
Moving closer to modern times there were some fairly early postwar attempts. In the U.S., the 1949 Crosley came with 4-wheel disc brakes but the company went back to drums the next year because the discs (adapted directly from aircraft) seized up when hit with winter salt. The Imperial came with a type of disc brake in 1950, but it more resembled a clutch than a modern caliper-type disc. Studebaker offered front discs starting in 1963. In 1965 the Corvette came with 4-wheel disc brakes standard, and the Rambler Marlin had standard discs in the front. However the auto industry was heavily-invested in drum brake production so it came down to $$$ that kept drums in use for so long on most cars.