-
Jan 1, 1404
Johannes Gutenberg-Printing Press
Gutenberg, a goldsmith by profession, developed a printing system by both adapting existing technologies and making inventions of his own. The printing press displaced earlier methods of printing and led to the first assembly line-style mass production of books. -
Jan 1, 1490
Francois Cuvllies-Oven
The first written historical record of an oven being built, refers to an oven built in 1490, in Alsace, France. This oven was made entirely of brick and tile, including the flue. -
Hans Lippershey-Optical Telescope Design
Hans Lippershey is credited with the earliest recorded design for an optical telescope (a refracting telescope) in 1608, although it is unclear if he invented it. -
Benjamin Franklin-Electricity
Benjamin Franklin is credited with the discovery of electricity through his well-known experiment of flying a kite during a thunderstorm. -
Pellegrino Turri-Typewriter
The first typewriter proven to have worked was built by the Italian Pellegrino Turri in 1808 for his blind friend Countess Carolina Fantoni da Fivizzano. -
Hamilton Smith -Rotary Washing Machine
In 1874, William Blackstone of Indiana built a birthday present for his wife. It was a machine which removed and washed away dirt from clothes. The first washing machines designed for convenient use in the home. -
Daniel Hess-Vacuum Cleaner
His machine did, in fact, have a rotating brush like a traditional carpet sweeper, and also possessed an elaborate bellows mechanism on top of the body to generate suction of dust and dirt. -
Thomas Alva Edison-Eletric Lightbulb
Thomas did not invent the lightbulb but improved it because he wanted to improve the arc lights in the late 1800's.The lightbulb was consisted of an evacuated glass bulb containing a filament made from a carbonized cotton thread. Edison had experimented with platinum filaments, but had better luck with carbon. He had to figure out the right marterial to use to make the lightbulb better. Since he was messing around experimenting he finally figured out the right shape and material. -
Wilhelm Conrad Rontgen-X-Ray
Wilhelm Conrad Rontgen discovered the X-ray by accident in 1895. While experimenting with his cathode ray generator, Rontgen noticed that beam sent out by the machine was able to penetrate and reach deeper layers than he ever thought was possible.Rontgen even named his discovery X-Radiation, because of the rays the machine used to see through deep layers of the body. -
Wright Brothers-Airplane
Orville Wright and Wilbur Wright had requested a patent application for a "flying machine". Wright brothers made the first successful experiment in which a machine carrying a man rose by its own power, flew naturally and at even speed, and descended without damage. The craft soared to an altitude of 10 feet, traveled 120 feet, and landed 12 seconds after takeoff. After making two longer flights that day. -
Robert Goddard-Liquid Fueled Rocket
Robert Goddard successfully launched the first liquid-fueled rocket in Auburn, Mass. The first-of-its-kind rocket reached an altitude of 41 feet, lasted 2 seconds and averaged about 60 miles per hour. Goddard wrote in his autobiography about an inspiration that came to him as a boy while up in a cherry tree pruning branches. -
Martin Cooper-Cell Phone
In 1973, Martin Cooper changed the world, although he didn't know it yet.Cooper and his team at Motorola created maybe the only thing that runs the lives of business professionals and teenagers alike the cell phone.It was the size of a brick and wasn't commercially sold for another decade. But as Cooper demonstrated on a New York sidewalk, it worked.