TRIVIAL...YET IMPORTANT, EVENTS IN U.S. HISTORY

  • SWIM FINS

    SWIM FINS
    Ben loved to swim and invented swim fins for the hands or the feet
  • FRANKLIN STOVE

    FRANKLIN STOVE
    No more tears from the smoke this stove directed it upward and outward. Replaced open firesplaces and became very popular in the colonies.
  • MAILORDER

    MAILORDER
    invented by Ben Franklin to sell scientific intsturments. The oldest surviving mailorder business is Hammacher Schlemmer 1848. they sold tools and hardware.
  • INVENTION OF THE FLATBOAT

    INVENTION OF THE FLATBOAT
    Jacob Yoder invented rectangular boat with a flat bottom for hauling flour to New Orleans
  • INVENTION OF THE CRACKER

    INVENTION OF THE CRACKER
    John Pearson made a cracker-like bread called pilot bread. Sailors used it as hardtack because of its long sehelf life. In 1801 a baker in Massachsetts burnt a batch of biscuits in his oven. They made a crackling noise. He later sold his cracker business to Nabisco!
  • REFRIGERATION

    REFRIGERATION
    Oliver Evans invented vaporized refrigeration in 1805, but Jacob Perkins built the first refrigerator in 1834
  • FIRST NATIONAL PARK

    The first effort to set aside lands by the national government was when Andrew Jackson signed legislation in 1832 to protect the area around Hot Springs, Arkansas. The world's first National Park is Yellowstone established in 1872.
  • WRENCH

    WRENCH
    The first wrench was patented by Solymon Merrick.
  • ETHER ANESTHESIA

  • BASEBALL

    BASEBALL
    ALEXANDER CARTWRIGHT WROTE THE KNICKERBOCKER RULES. HE IS IN THE BASEBALL HALL OF FAME
  • SAFETY PIN

    SAFETY PIN
    Walter Hunt invented the safety pin but didn't see a big value in it so he sold the patent for 400$ which is about $10,000 in 2008 money
  • POTATO CHIP

    POTATO CHIP
    CRUMSARATOGA SPRINGS- GEORGE CRUM never patented
    AS A WORLD FOOD POTATO CHIPS ARE SECOND ONLY TO RICE
  • ROLLED TOILET PAPER

    ROLLED TOILET PAPER
  • CAN OPENER

    CAN OPENER
    invented by Ezra Warner and used during the Civil War. The invention of the familiar can opener occured in 1870.
  • JEANS

    JEANS
    JACOB DAVIS AND LEVI STRAUSS
    ORIGINALLY CALLED WAIST OVERALLS
    BABY BOOMERS IN THE 60'S DUBBED THEM BLUE JEANS
  • USE OF THE FIRST DRINKING STRAW

    USE OF THE FIRST DRINKING STRAW
  • THE ZIPPER IS INVENTED

    THE ZIPPER IS INVENTED
    INVENTED BY WHITCOMB JUDSON HE DISPLAYED IT AT THE WORLD'S FAIR IN 1893
  • AIRCONDITIONING

    WILLIS CARRIER INVENTED THE FIRST MECHANICLA AIR CONDITIONING. RESIDENTIAL AIR CONDITIONING IN THE 1920'S STARTED A MIGRATION TO THE SUNBELT. IT REALLY CAUGHT ON AFTER WWII
  • CRAYONS

    CRAYONS
    CRAYOLA CRAYONS INVENTED BY EDWARD BINNEY AND HAROLD SMITH FOR SCHOOL USE
  • ELECTRIC WASHING MACHINE

    ELECTRIC WASHING MACHINE
    HURLEY MACHINE COMPANY IN CHICAGO MASS PRODUCED IN 1908
  • BAND-AID

    BAND-AID
    INVENTED BY EARLE DICKSON
  • THE FLOWCHART

  • HE RECLINER

  • DUCT TAPE

    DUCT TAPE
    JOHNSON & JOHNSON INVENTED DUCK TAPE FOR THE US GOVERNMENT DURING WWII. IT WAS USED TO PROTECT AMMUNITION FROM HUMIDITY THUS THE NAME DUCK.
  • DEFIBRILLATOR

    DEFIBRILLATOR
    DR CLAUDE BECK WAS THE FIRST TO USE A DEFIBRILLATOR ON A HUMAN
  • THE DRIVE THRU

    THE DRIVE THRU
    IN AND OUT BURGER FIRST DRIVE THROUGH BURGER PLACE
  • HAIRSPRAY

    HAIRSPRAY
    DEVELOPED AND MANUFACTURED BY CHASE PRODUCTS COMPANY IN ILLINOIS
  • THE MARKER

  • INVENTION OF THE CRASH TEST DUMMY

    INVENTION OF THE CRASH TEST DUMMY
    they used to use cadavers and live animals to do safety tests
  • THE FIRST PERSONAL COMPUTER

  • E MAIL

    E MAIL
    A PROGRAMMER WORKING FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, RAY TOMLINSON, INVENTED ELECTRONIC MAILAND SENT THE FIRST MESSAGE
  • DIGITAL CAMERA

  • INTERNET

  • GPS GLOBAL POSITIONING

    GPS GLOBAL POSITIONING
    MAIN COMPONENT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE'S GLOBAL NAVIGATION SATELLITESYSTEM
    INVNETED BY 2 MIT ENGINEERS IVAN GETTING AND BRADFORD PARKINSON
  • SEGWAY

    SEGWAY
    INVENTED BY DEAN KAMEN A FAMOUS AND PROLIFIC AMERICAN INVENTOR
  • HPV VACCINE

    HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS VACCINE INVENTED AT GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER, UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER, AND THE NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE
  • GOOGLE EARTH

    GOOGLE EARTH