The Inventions That Changed Everything

"In 1565 the German-Swiss naturalist Conrad Gesner first described a writing instrument in which graphite, then thought to be a type of lead, was inserted into a wooden holder." www.britannica.com



In 1565, the Swiss naturalist Conrad Gesner is credited with...

Harington devised England's first flushing toilet - called the Ajax. It was installed at his manor in Kelston...

In 1591, Sir John Harington, an English courtier and godson of Queen Elizabeth I, invented the flush toilet. Harington’s design featured a bowl with a...

"The first thermometer was constructed by Galileo. It consisted of a small glass globe fitted with a long tube. The open end of the tube was inserted in water, and the globe was heated until some of the air was expelled from it. When it was allowed to cool, the pressure of...

"Galileo made his first telescope in 1609, modeled after telescopes produced in other parts of Europe that could magnify objects three times. He created a telescope later that same year that could magnify objects twenty times. With this telescope, he was able to look at the ...

"In 1656 Dutch mathematician, astronomer, physicist and horologist Christiaan Huygens invented the pendulum clock in 1656 and patented it in 1657. This technology reduced the loss of time by clocks from about 15 minutes to about 15 seconds per...

"...According to the well-known story, it was on seeing an apple fall in his orchard at some time during 1665 or 1666 that Newton conceived that the same force governed the motion of the Moon and the apple. He calculated the force needed to hold the Moon in its orbit, as...

"Thomas Savery was an English inventor credited with making important advancements and discoveries in the development of the steam engine. He was born in 1650 at Shilston and belonged to a well known family of Devonshire. He received a thorough education and was fond of...

"In 1720 Mrs Clements, in Durham, England, developed a process to remove the husks from ground mustard and make smooth mustard. This was the first recorded smooth mustard made in England. Mrs Clements understood the value of her innovation well and kept the process secret...

"Those of our Readers in this and the neighboring Provinces, who may have had an Opportunity of observing, during the present Summer, and of the Effects of Lightning on Houses, Ships, Trees, &c. are requested to take particular Notice of its Course, and Deviation from a...

"While living in Paris, Franklin hated having to change constantly from reading glasses to distance glasses. He directed an optician to cut two pairs of lenses horizontally in half and mount them in a new frame, with the reading lens at the bottom and the distance lens at...

"Argand burner, first scientifically constructed oil lamp, patented in 1784 in England by a Swiss, Aimé Argand. The first basic change in lamps in thousands of years, it applied a principle that was later adapted to gas burners. The Argand burner consisted of a cylindrical...

The invention of the cotton gin by Eli Whitney in 1793 marked a pivotal moment in the history of American agriculture and the economy. This simple yet revolutionary device mechanized the process of separating cotton fibers from their seeds, a task that was previously done...

...Probably the most important developments in the science of electricity started with the invention of the first battery in 1800 by Alessandro Volta. This battery gave the world its first continuous, reliable source of electric current and led to all the important...

"... The first known bicyclist was the Comte de Sivrac, who was seen riding a two-wheel 'wooden horse' in Paris in 1791, the Smithsonian reports. Among its many drawbacks was that it was impossible to steer.

On had to lift, drag or jump the front wheel to change...

One of the greatest commodities in the United States today is a greyish powder commonly sold in 50-pound bags for about 10 cents a pound.

Modern Portland cement has a rather short but fabulous history. Back in 1824 an English mason named Joseph Aspdin mixed a compound...

"... in 1811 George Stephenson made an engine. 'At last something practical has been designed,' thought many. George improved his design, and by 1825 his locomotion was on the rails. This was the first engine for the first important railway in the world. It went from...

...John Baptist von Helmont, born at Brussels in 1677, while engaged in chemical research, discovered gas and named it. An English rector, Rev. Dr. John Clayton, discovered coal gas in 1792, thereby causing great consternation in his village in Wales. It was nearly 40 years ...

In 1827 the first friction match was invented in England by John Walker. Walker's matches were sticks tipped with a mixture of chemicals that burst into flame when scratched against a rough surface.

Walker found that when the mixture dried, he could ignite the stick by...

MONUMENT FOR SUPPOSED SEWING MACHINE INVENTOR

Lyons, France, Aug. 23. - (Correspondence of Associated Press) - A monument is to be erected here soon in honor of Bartholomew Thimonnier, whom the French claim was the inventor of the sewing machine.

Thimonnier, a...

William Smith Otis (1813-1839) was an American mechanical engineer and inventor who is credited with the development of the steam shovel, a significant innovation in the construction and mining industries. He was born in Hampden, Maine, in 1813.

The steam shovel is a...

"The custom of sending Christmas cards was started in the UK in 1843 by Sir Henry Cole. He was a civil servant (Government worker) who had helped set-up the new 'Public Record Office' (now called the Post Office), where he was an Assistant Keeper, and wondered how it could...

1843: Until September 9, 1843, ice cream was made by the "pot freezer method," but on this day, Nancy M. Johnson of Philadelphia got her "artificial freezer" patented, containing a tub, cylinder, lid, dasher, and crank. This design is still widely used today.

"John Gorrie was born in 1803 and spent most of his childhood in South Carolina. After receiving a degree in medicine, he moved to Apalachicola, Florida, a port city on the Gulf of Mexico. In addition to practicing medicine, Gorrie studied tropical diseases. Like most...

"THE FIRST elastic bands, made from vulcanised rubber, were patented on March 17, 1845, by Stephen Perry of Messrs Perry & Co, rubber manufacturers of London. Production of rubber bands 'for papers, letters, etc' was inaugurated by the firm at about the same time.

Sean...

THE SAFETY PIN.
Interesting Story of Its Inventor, Walter Hunt.

Buffalo Commercial.
John R. Chapin, now of Buffalo, gives some interesting reminiscences of Walter Hunt, who, in the opinion of may, including Mr. Chapin, was the real inventor of the sewing machine. "Let...

Really a Capital Production!
The celebrity of Gayett's Medicated Paper for the water-closet is rapidly being extended throughout the United States. It is one of the best articles ever put before the public. It obviates the use of chemically-poisoned white paper, and paper...

In 1858, an American inventor named Hyman Lipman patented the design for a pencil with an attached eraser. His invention involved attaching a small rubber eraser to the end of a wooden pencil, creating a convenient two-in-one writing and erasing tool. This innovation made...

Perfect Pasteurization Means Perfect Protection

Pasturization is simply heating milk - not boiling it.

By raising the temperature of the milk to 145 degrees Fahrenheit and keeping it at that point for thirty minutes, all harmful germs are destroyed, by the milk is...

... In 1867 Mr. C. Latham Sholes, a printer and editor; Mr. Samuel W. Soule, a printer, and Mr. Carlos Glidden, a retired merchant, all residents of Milwaukee, inspired by an article of the London Engineering, descriptive of "the prototype" invented by John Pratt, of...

Professor Bell tried his telephone on the telegraph line between Boston and Salem the other day, he remaining in Boston. Conversation was carried on with the operator at Salem without the slightest difficulty, even the voices of the speakers being easily recognized....

November 21, 1877
Thomas Edison announces his "talking machine" invention (phonograph), the 1st machine to play and record sound. onthisday.com

The Phonograph.
The Scientific American contains the first announcement of what may be the most wonderful invention of the...

In the year 1879, a pivotal moment in technological advancement unfolded when Thomas Alva Edison, an industrious inventor from the United States, successfully developed the incandescent light bulb. This groundbreaking invention marked a significant leap forward in the realm ...

"1884: The first gravity roller coaster designed and built specifically as an amusement ride opens at Coney Island, New York. It is a commercial success and leads to the building of roller coasters all over the world.

LaMarcus Adna Thompson’s Coney Island coaster, which, ...

Photographic.

A certificate was filed yesterday in the county clerk's office showing that the capital stock of the Eastman Dry Plate and Film company $200,000, has been fully paid up. The trustees are Henry A. Strong, Edwin O. Sage, J. H. Kent, George Eastman and William ...

THE NEW MOVING POWER
DAIMLER'S WONDERFUL MOTOR AND ITS PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS.
The Various Vehicles That Can Be Seen Moved by It at Stuttgart - Daimler's Gas or Petroleum Motor - Combustible Air the Chief Ingredient - Its Portability - The Thorough Test That Has Been...

Seth Wheeler of Albany, New York, is credited with patenting the first perforated toilet paper roll in 1891. He was an American inventor and entrepreneur born in 1860. Wheeler's invention revolutionized personal hygiene and bathroom habits.

Before Wheeler's innovation,...

LIGHT AND SOUND UNITED
EDISON OUTDOES HIMSELF IN THE KINETOGRAPH.
It is to Reproduce a Picture of What Passes Before the Mechanical Eye - With the Phonograph the Invention Will Serve to Take the Opera Into the Parlor - A Rapid-Transit Road Under Broadway - General New...

"...the inventor of the first zipper, Whitcomb L. Judson, did his experimentation right here in the Windy City and in 1891 invented a device called the zipper.

Actually, the first zipper was a very crude invention, conceived by this portly fella called Judson who found...

Aspirin Discoverer Dies an Unknown Man

"CHICAGO (UPI) - In these days of deadlines and taxes and other headaches, offer a cheer for Felix Hoffmann, one of the world's great painkillers.

Hoffmann solved a problem and narrowed the odds in mankind's fight with misery He...

King Camp Gillette (1855-1932) was an American businessman and inventor. He is best known for inventing the disposable safety razor, which revolutionized shaving and became an essential personal care product for people around the world.
Before Gillette's invention, shaving ...

Willis Haviland Carrier was an American engineer and inventor who is widely regarded as the "Father of Air Conditioning." He was born on November 26, 1876, in Angola, New York, and passed away on October 7, 1950, in New York City.

Carrier's most significant contribution...

LIKE A BIRD AEROPLANE FLIES.
Two Americans Solve Great Problem of Aerial Navigation With a Flying Machine Which They Invent and Build.
NORFOLK, Va. - The problem of aerial flight without the use of a balloon has been solved by Wilbur and Orville Wright of Dayton, O.

At ...

Splendid Talking Machine.
The Victor Victrola, a splendid new talking machine, is being exhibited by Wharton Brothers. This is the costliest and by far the most nearly perfect ever seen here. It has been on the market for only about one month. It has no horn, as is usually ...

Fessenden reported that on the evening of December 24, 1906 (Christmas Eve), he had made the first of two radio broadcasts of music and entertainment to a general audience, using the alternator-transmitter at Brant Rock (Marshfield).


TELEPHONING WITHOUT WIRE
Another...

"Dateline 1907 - Chicago Cubs sweep World Series, defeating Detroit Tigers in four games. A washing machine operated by electricity rather than by hand has been marketed by the Hurley Machine Company. The Hurley uses a small motor to spin a drum that holds clothes, water...

In the annals of early 20th-century industrial achievements, the year 1908 marks a pivotal moment in automotive history. It was in this year that Henry Ford, an innovative industrialist from the United States, revolutionized transportation by producing the first Model-T...

"...Henry Ford installs the first moving assembly line for the mass production of an entire automobile. His innovation reduced the time it took to build a car from more than 12 hours to two hours and 30 minutes...

Ford had been trying to increase his factories’...

"... Mary Phelps Jacob, a young New York socialite who became exasperated with the antiquated corsets after finding it impossible to prevent the support rods from poking out from underneath the fabric of her evening gown. Determined to create a more comfortable, less...

Charles received U.S. patent #1,394,450 on October 18, 1921 for the pop-up bread toaster.

He formed the Waters Genter company and started selling the "Toastmaster".

"... The first toaster came along around 1909, though there are conflicting claims as to who was...

...Zworykin had a patent, but Farnsworth had a picture

Zworykin and his television
Zworykin is usually credited as being the father of modern television. This was because the patent for the heart of the TV, the electron scanning tube, was first applied for by Zworykin...

"On November 23, 1927, Norwegian engineer Erik Rotheim (also spelled Eric Rotheim) patented the first aerosol can and valve that could hold and dispense products and propellant systems. This was the forerunner of the modern aerosol can and valve..."...

"...The first automatically sliced commercial loaves were produced on July 6, 1928, in Chillicothe, Missouri, using a machine invented by Otto Rohwedder, an Iowa-born, Missouri-based jeweler. Rohwedder’s quest to make sliced bread a reality was not without its challenges. A ...

"...Back in the ’20s, Scotch was a synonym for 'cheap.' Richard Drew, a 23-year-old research assistant at Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing, was trying to create a sticky-but-not-too-sticky adhesive tape for auto painters to use on two-tone paint jobs. When he erred on the ...

"Arthur Scott, head of [Scott Paper Company], had big trouble. An entire railroad car full of paper, unloaded at his plant, wasn't good for anything because the paper had been rolled too thick for toilet tissue, its intended purpose. Was he going to send the whole load...

The American Can Company created a Coin Bank made from a metal beverage can and sold it at the 1934 Chicago Century of Progress Worlds Fair.

Canned beer made its debut January 24, 1935. Fairport’s (NY) former American Can Company is part of beer can history. American Can ...

Joseph Bombardier, born in the province of Quebec, was the first to design a snowmobile as we know it today. Later, he released the model name Ski-doo with his company, which is nowadays the common name in Quebec to name a snowmobile. weleaf.nl


In 1935, Joseph-Armand...

The earliest form of sunscreen was created by Franz Greiter in 1938 and then Benjamin Green in 1944 who used a mixture of cocoa butter and red veterinary petroleum to protect his skin from the sun. Shortly afterwards, Franz Greiter branded his formula Piz Buin while Mr...

A Hungarian journalist named Laszlo Biro invented the first ballpoint pen in 1938. Biro had noticed that the ink used in newspaper printing dried quickly, leaving the paper smudge-free, so he decided to create a pen using the same type of ink. But the thicker ink wouldn't...

The invention of nylon in 1938 ushered in a textile revolution for consumers and the military alike, ultimately helping the Allies win World War II...

Nylon’s characteristics made for an ideal material to suit any number of uses, but DuPont decided early on that it would ...

In 1940, RCA Laboratories (later merged into SRI) commercialized the first high-resolution transmission electron microscope in North America; this TEM became known as "Model B" and created a usable electron microscope for wider application.

Model B was a behemoth,...

Washington Column by Peter Edson

WASHINGTON - (NEA) - When first publicity was given in the fall of 1945 to the men who had made the atomic bomb, interest centered on the then practically unknown young University of California physicist, Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer.

He...

George de Mestral (June 19, 1907 – February 8, 1990) was a Swiss electrical engineer who invented the hook and loop fastener which he named Velcro...

De Mestral first conceptualised hook and loop after returning from a hunting trip with his dog in the Alps in 1941. After ...

In 1968, the automated teller machine, or ATM, was invented in the United States by Donald Wetzel, a department head at Docutel, a subsidiary of Recognition Equipment Inc. based in Dallas, Texas. Originally, Docutel had been developing optical scanning technology for...

"...In 1982, two events happened that eventually led to the home camcorder boom: JVC introduced the VHS-C format, and Sony released the first professional camcorder named Betacam. VHS-C was essentially VHS with a reduced-size cassette that had been designed for portable...

In 1983, the TRS-80 Model 100, often recognized as the first widely accessible laptop computer, was introduced in the United States by Radio Shack Corporation. This notebook-style computer, roughly the size and shape of a large notepad or book, featured a built-in keyboard...

Tim Berners-Lee, a British scientist, invented the World Wide Web (WWW) in 1989, while working at CERN. The web was originally conceived and developed to meet the demand for automated information-sharing between scientists in universities and institutes around the...