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Anton van Leeuwenhoek Invents a Microscope
Leeuwenhoek developed and improved 500+ microscopes during his time. He made a lens that could magnify up to 270x, and all of his devices were handheld. Using that lens, he created the first effective Microscope around. -
Eli Whitney Invents the Cotton Gin
Eli Whitney invented a machine that removed seeds from cotton fibers. Sadly, it increased slave labour, because there was a much larger production of cotton goods from then on. -
Samuel Morris Invents the Telegraph
The first working Telegraph was known as Morse Code. It was a code with dots and dashes that matched with each letter in the alphabet, carried through electric impulses. His idea was formed when he was out of town for work and his wife got sick, died, and had already been buried when he got home. -
John Deere Invents the Steel Cast Plow
John Deere invented the Steel Plow because Middle-West soil was very rich and when wood plows tried to split up the soil, they instead broke. -
Charles Goodyear Invents Vulcanized Rubber
Rubber would go hard and crack in Winter, but in Summer it would melt. Charles Goodyear saved the industry by inventing Vulcanized Rubber. It is Rubber treated at high temperatures with certain chemicals. -
Elias Howe Invents the Sewing Machine
Many sewing machines had been patented previously, but in 1846 he patented his machine- the first one ever to have lockstitch design. A lockstich uses a two threads, one on the spool on top, and one inside on the bobbin. -
Elisha Graves Otis Invents the Elevator Brake
In 1852, Otis designed and built the 'safety hoist', the first elevator to have a built-in safety device, which prevented you from falling if the cables snapped. His business, Otis Elevator Company, took off quickly after he demonstrated his invention in New York in 1854. -
Joseph Gayetty Invents Toilet Paper
Joseph Gayetty invented Toilet paper, sold in sheets with the intent of it being used to treat medical diseases. After his invention, many companies started producing toilet paper on rolls, which is how we know it as today. -
Ezra Warner Invents the Can Opener
Ezra Warner invented/patented the Can Opener in 1858 and it was especially known to be used in the Civil War to open cans of preserved food. Before her invention, the first cans were made of thick metal and could only be opened with hammer and chisel. -
Levi Strauss Invents Blue Jeans
Blue Jeans were invented because miners in the California Gold Rush in 1800's needed durable pants -
Alexander Graham Bell Invents the Telephone
In 1876, the first call on the telephone was dialled by the inventor himself, to his colleague. He said, "Mr Watson, come here. I want to see you". -
Nicholas August Otton Invents the first Gas-Powered Motor
He invented the first effective substitute to a steam engine. It was a four-stroke engine, called the 'Otto Cycle', and once finished he turned it into a motorcycle -
Thomas Edison Invents the Light Bulb
Thomas Edison had tested 3000+ lightbulb prototypes until in 1879 he patented his design; a electric lamp with a carbon conducting wire -
George Eastman Invents Rolled Photography Film
In 1883, he invented flexible, transparent film for cameras. He wanted to make photography a hobbie for everyone, not just professionals -
John Pemberton Invents Coca-Cola
John Pemberton was a Pharmacist who had fought in the Civil War, and after coming back he decided he wanted to invent something that would bring him much success. -
George Eastman Invents the first Handheld Camera
Eastman created Kodak Camera Company in 1888 and the first Camera from the company was Handheld and preloaded with film. Once the user had taken their photos, they would have to bring the whole camera to Kodak for the images to be printed -
Whitcomb L. Judson Invents the Zipper
'The Clasp Locker', made of metal with locking 'teeth', was invented for the Chicago Worlds Fair in 1893 but had little success. Later, competition improved the design to today's modern zipper. -
Nikola Tesla Invents the Radio
Tesla invented a basic design for Radio in 1892. He had invented/patented thousands of things across his lifetime. Most think Guglielo Marconi created the Radio, but his patents were based on improvements of other people's designs. -
Wilhelm Seward Burroughs Invents the Adding Machine
Burroughs first adding machine was invented in 1885, but people proved it a failure. So in 1888, he set up American Arithmometer Company and designed the first working 'Calculating machine' in 1892. -
George Ferris Invents the Ferris Wheel
In 1891, the owners of The Chicago Worlds Fair called for all engineers to create an amazing structure for the 1893 fair. So, George Ferris took on the challenge and created The Ferris Wheel -
Wilhelm von Roentgen Discovers X-Rays
Roentgen earnt himself a Nobel Prize in Physics in 1901 for his discovery. Before detecting X-Rays, Doctors had to guess a patient's diagnosis. -
Orville and Wilbur Wright fly the Airplane
On a day in 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright fly four short times in the first powered airplane, proving it a success. -
Mary Anderson Invents the Windshield Wiper
Many designs had been previously designed by others, but Mary's was the first to be operational and effective. It was used to remove ice, sleet and snow from vehicles -
Edwin Binney and Harold Smith Invent Crayola Crayons
In 1864, Crayola Company was born, getting its name from two French words which meant chalk and oil-based. Years later, the company brought out a pack of coloured crayons, in red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, brown, and black. -
Frank Epperson Invents the Popsicle
11 year old boy, Frank Epperson, invented the popsicle on accident when on a winter night, he left some flavoured soda he had mixed up, with a stir stick in it. The next morning he found what is now known as the popsicle. -
Frank Henry Fleer Invents Bubblegum
He invented the first chewable gum in 1906, called Blibber Blubber. But it was too sticky and was never put up for sale so later he improved his invention and changed the name to Dubble Bubble. -
Earle Dickson Invents the Band Aid
Earle Dickson invented Band Aids for his Wife, who often injured herself while cooking -
John Logie Baird Invents the Television
Many people had tried to invent a working television previously, but it wasn't until 1925 that Baird did. He borrowed money from relatives/friends to buy materials. Some materials in his television were scrap pieces from junkyards. The first images produced were blurred grey letters. -
Richard Drew Invents Scotch Tape
Previous to Invents Scott Tape, Drew had invented Scotch Masking tape in 1925, and in 1930, using oils, resins, and rubber, he invented Scotch (transparent) Tape. Today, it is found in nearly 90% of American households for wrapping, sealing, and joining. -
Ruth Wakefield Invents Chocolate-Chip Cookies
Ruth invented Toll House brand of Cookies while making chocolate cookies. She had run out of an ingredient and chopped up a chocolate bar for a substitute. When the chocolate stayed in small lumps instead of melting into the mixture, Chocolate Chip Cookies were born -
Jonas Salk Invents a Polio Vaccine
Jonas Salk tested his vaccine on monkeys and human volunteers in clinical trials, before having it declared safe and effective.
