Most people know that Edison invented the light bulb and that Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone, but what about other little modern luxuries we enjoy every day? Many of the objects we take for granted are the result of hours upon hours of work and failed attempts and experiments by dedicated tinkerers and inventors who thought the world really needed a THING, and then made it their life’s work to produce said thing (except for potato chips, those were pure serendipity).
So take a moment to sit back, look around, and appreciate that we live in a pretty amazing age (the age of both air conditioning and deodorant, for instance! What a time to be alive!), and ponder with gratitude this list of 25 Inventors We Should Be Thankful For On A Daily Basis.
10
Willis Carrier invented the modern Air Conditioning unit in 1902. In 1915, he founded Carrier Technologies, which is still running (and making air conditioners) today.
9
Buddy Bolden is credited as “The Man Who Invented Jazz.” He combined blues, gospel, and improvisation into a new, loud sound starting around 1895. While it’s arguable he “invented” jazz since you can’t invent music, he definitely brought it to the forefront of popular music and made the trumpet, one of the main instruments of the genre. If you’re saying, “But I don’t listen to jazz!” remember that hip hop, funk, post progressive rock, psychedelic rock, R&B and even ska are all derivative forms of jazz.
8
John Harrington (a Godson of Queen Elizabeth) invented the flushing toilet around 1596. It would take quite awhile for this idea to catch on, but we’re all pretty grateful it did.
7
The microwave was invented in 1945 by a man named Percy Spencer, who never finished grammar school. He discovered the technology on accident while working developing microwave radar transmitters during WWII. The candy bar he kept in his pocket kept melting.
6
Sir Alexander Flemming discovered penicillin in 1928. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in medicine in 1945. It’s almost impossible to tell how many lives his work has saved since then. Ever gotten sick and then you took antibiotics and didn’t die? That’s because of Flemming.
5
Benjamin Franklin invented the urinary catheter, the odometer, swim fins, and political cartoons, among other things. Most of us who drive cars or wear fitbits literally look at the modern descendants of his inventions daily, and while a urinary catheter isn’t glamorous or fun, it’s a vital part of modern healthcare.
4
John Logie Baird was one of the inventors credited with the working mechanical television and demonstrated the first working set in 1926. He invented the color television picture tube and made the first color television broadcast in 1938. If you’re reading this on a color screen, it’s because of that guy.
3
In December of 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright made the first powered, sustained and controlled (non gliding) flights in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. They would go on to build a more practical airplane close to what we have now two years later.
2
Alva J Fisher invented a drum style washing machine called “Thor” in 1907, and it was the first electric washer sold in the United States. He worked for the Hurley Washing Machine Co. in Chicago. Before that, washing machines were hand cranked.
1
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