1817 - The bicycle is invented (Baron Karl de Drais de Sauerbrun, Germany)

"... 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... Read MORE...

Waukesha Daily Freeman - Waukesha, Wisconsin - May 26, 1977

1824 - Portland cement is invented (Joseph Aspdin, England)

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... Read MORE...

The Times - Hammond, Indiana - October 23, 1957

1825 - The locomotive is invented (George Stephenson, England)

"... 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... Read MORE...

The Age - Melbourne, Victoria, Australia - December 19, 1930 -

1826 - The gas stove is invented (James Sharp, UK)

...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 ... Read MORE...

1827 - Matches are invented (John Walker, England)

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... Read MORE...

Alton Evening Telegraph - Alton, Illinois - March 20, 1972

1829 - The sewing machine is invented (Barthélemy Thimonnier, France)

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... Read MORE...

Salisbury Evening Post - Salisbury, North Carolina - September 5, 1919

1839 - February 24 - Steam shovel patented by William Smith Otis, Philadelphia

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... Read MORE...

historyorb.com -

1843 - The Christmas card is invented (Sir Henry Cole and John Callcott Horsley, England)

"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... Read MORE...

www.whychristmas.com -

1843 - Artificial Freezer Patented

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.

The Old Farmer's Almanac www.almanac.com -

1845 - The refrigerator is invented (John Gorrie, United States)

"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... Read MORE...

How the Refrigerator Changed History by Lydia Bjornlund, ABDO, 2015 -

1845 - The rubber band is invented (Stephen Perry, England)

"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... Read MORE...

www.theguardian.com -

1849 - The safety pin is invented (Walter Hunt, United States)

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... Read MORE...

The Saint Paul Globe - Saint Paul, Minnesota - December 25, 1895

1853 - Potato chips are invented (George Crum, United States)

This year is the seventy-fifth anniversary or the potato chip and a resident of Saratoga Springs advises The New Yorker that many of the older neighbors are all excited. It seems that the chip was invented there in 1853, and that is why it is known more elegantly, as the... Read MORE...

Alton Evening Telegraph - Alton, Illinois - February 28, 1928

1857 - Toilet paper is invented (Joseph Gayetty, United States)

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... Read MORE...

The Wheeling Daily Intelligencer - Wheeling, West Virginia - November 30, 1858

March 30, 1858: H. L. Lipman, of Philadelphia, patented the first pencil with eraser

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... Read MORE...

The Old Farmer's Almanac www.almanac.com - March 30, 1858