James Alexander DEWAR

Born

5 February 1897 , Pugwash, Nova Scotia, Canada

Died

30 June 1985 , Downers Grove, Illinois, USA

View Family Tree

Pedigree Chart

Life & Records

Parents & Family of James Alexander DEWAR

Explore parents, grandparents, spouses, children, and the family connections surrounding James Alexander DEWAR.

Parents

Allen DEWAR Louisa GREY

Grandparents

Explore grandparents

Spouse & Children

No spouse or child records yet

Family Tree

Open family tree View pedigree chart

Born: 5 February 1897 in Pugwash, Nova Scotia, Canada

Father: Allen DEWAR

Mother: Louisa GREY

James Alexander DEWAR died 30 June 1985 in Downers Grove, Illinois, USA.

m. 21 Apr 1917 • Chicago, Cook, Illinois, USA
Sylvia D Witte
(1893–1977)

photo/ portrait (above) from ancestry.com

Details of the family tree of James appear below.

WORK & OCCUPATION

Occupation

Recorded occupation: Canadian inventor - invented the Twinkie in 1931

A Glimpse into the Everyday Life of the Average American Man in the Mid-1900s

The Definitive Guide for Researching Your French-Canadian Ancestors in 2025

Add Life Event

Have another record or photo?
Add a life event, census record, military record, obituary, achievement, or photograph for James Alexander DEWAR.

Life & Records

Photos, life events, and historical records for James Alexander DEWAR.

Hide Life & Records

How to read this timeline
Records about James Alexander DEWAR and family appear alongside historical events from the same years. Each item is labeled so you can quickly tell family records from historical context.

Birth — 1897
5 February 1897
Pugwash, Nova Scotia, Canada

1901 - King Camp Gillette and William Emery Nickerson invented the world's first disposable razor blade in 1901. (Boston, Massachusetts, USA)

1902 - July 17 - Willis Haviland Carrier designed the first modern air-conditioning system. (Buffalo, New York, USA)

1903 - The first engine-powered airplane is invented (Wilbur & Orville Wright, United States)

1906 - August 22 – The first Victor Victrola, a phonographic record player, was manufactured, revolutionizing the way people listened to music at home.

In 1906, Reginald Fessenden made the first AM radio broadcast on December 24th. This event marked a significant advancement in radio technology, paving the way for the modern broadcasting industry.

1907-1908 - The electric washing machine is invented (Alva J. Fisher, United States)

1908 - First Model-T car is produced by Henry Ford (United States)

1912 - April 15 - Titanic sinks in the North Atlantic

1913 - The assembly line is invented (Henry Ford, United States)

The bra is invented (Mary Phelps Jacob, United States)

1921 - Charles Strite of Minnesota patents the pop-up toaster.

1923 to 1927 - Television is invented (Vladimir Kosma Zworykin (Russia), Philo Taylor Farnsworth (United States))

1927 - The aerosol can is invented (Erik Rotheim, Norway)

1928 - Sliced bread (bread slicing machine) is invented by Otto Frederick Rohwedder (United States)

1930 - Scotch tape is invented (Richard Drew (3M), United States)

In 1930, on February 18, Pluto was discovered by astronomer Clyde Tombaugh at the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, marking a significant milestone in the study of our solar system.

1930 - April 6 - Hostess Twinkies first sold.
On April 6, 1930, the first Hostess Twinkies went on sale, marking the debut of what would become one of America’s most iconic snack foods. The invention came from James Alexander Dewar, a baker at the Continental Baking Company in Schiller Park, Illinois. Dewar, noticing that machines used to produce cream-filled strawberry shortcakes sat idle when strawberries were out of season, devised a new treat: a sponge cake filled with banana cream. The name “Twinkie” reportedly came from a St. Louis billboard advertising “Twinkle Toe Shoes,” inspiring the catchy moniker that would endure for decades.

Twinkies quickly became a popular treat, but their flavor evolved over time due to broader historical events. During World War II, bananas were rationed, and the company substituted vanilla cream for the original banana filling. The change proved surprisingly popular, and vanilla became the standard Twinkie flavor, with banana cream largely relegated to limited-time promotions. Over the...Read full story

Visit , United States (USA) (American Colonies)

April 6, 1930

1931 - The paper towel is invented (Arthur Scott, United States)

1934 - The metal beverage can is invented (American Can Co., United States)

1935 - The snowmobile was invented by Joseph Bombardier (Quebec, Canada)

1938 - The ballpoint pen is invented (Lazlo Biro, Hungary)

1938-1944 - Sunscreen is invented (Franz Greiter, Switzerland and Benjamin Green, United States)

1938 - October 27 - Du Pont announces a name for its new synthetic yarn: nylon.

1940 - April - 1st electron microscope demonstrated (RCA), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

1945 - The atomic bomb is invented (J. Robert Oppenheimer, et al., United States)

The microwave oven was invented accidentally in 1945 by Percy Spencer, a Raytheon engineer. While testing a magnetron, he noticed microwaves melted a candy bar in his pocket. Experimenting further, he discovered microwaves could cook food quickly. Raytheon patented the process, and by 1947, they built the first commercial microwave oven, called the 'Radarange.' Initially used in commercial settings, microwaves becomes affordable for home use by the 1960s and 1970s, revolutionizing cooking.

1948 - Velcro is invented (George de Mestral, Switzerland)

1968 - The ATM is invented (Don Wetzel, United States)

The cell phone was invented by Martin Cooper of Motorola. On April 3, 1973, he made the first handheld mobile phone call with the Motorola DynaTAC. This device weighed 2.5 pounds and was 10 inches long, offering 30 minutes of talk time and requiring 10 hours to charge. The first commercial cell phone was released in 1983, revolutionizing communication and leading to the modern smartphones we use today.

1981 - June 5 - First reported case of AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome)

1982 - The camcorder is invented (Sony Corp., Japan)

1983 - The laptop computer is invented (Radio Shack Corp., United States)