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Barbed Wire
Although not the original inventor, Joseph F. Glidden’s of DeKalb, Illonois, improvements changed the face of barbed wire. Barbed wire was first used on the open range to create fences for ranches preventing the cattle from wondering away. Other uses of barbed wire have included protection of unwanted visitors, in prisons to keep inmates contained, and even on the battlefield. Barbed wire was a key invention in advancing our country. -
The Telephone Patented
Although he was not the original inventor, Alexander Graham Bell patented the telephone on March 7, 1876. He was working at a school for the deaf in Boston, Massachusetts at the time. The telephone revolutionized communication. Messages that once took weeks to arrive were now instant. People on the east coast could easily place orders from companies on the west coast that would then be transported by the transcontinental railroad. The telephone was one of the greatest inventions ever. -
Incandescent Light Bulb
Thomas Alva Edison was known as the greatest inventor of his time. In 1879, he improved on previous technology to create the modern day incandescent light bulb. Edison's lab was located in Menlo Park, NJ. This creation changed America’s primary source of artificial light from gas-powered lanterns to electric lighting and spurred the creation of electric companies that provided power to America’s businesses and homes. The patent for Edison’s light bulb was received on January 27, 1880. -
First Successful Airplane
In 1903 Orville and Wilbur Wright invented the first airplane. Their first successful airplane was simply called the “Wright Flyer”. The first flight was in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, on December 14 and lasted only 3.5 seconds and was piloted by Wilbur Wright. After a few repairs, it was Orville’s turn. On December 17, Orville’s flight lasted 12 seconds. This was only the beginning! -
Assembly Line
Henry Ford was not known as an inventor but more of an innovator. His Model T and assembly line changed the face of transportation in America. The assembly line was first used in Highland Park, Michigan and made it possible to increase the amount of turnout substantially. Ford was not the original inventor of the automobile but he was the man who changed it from a luxury item for only the rich to a practical, affordable means of transportation. -
Liquid Fuel Rocket
On March 16, 1926 in Auburn, Massachusetts, Dr. Robert Goddard launched the first ever liquid fueled rocket. The small rocket was propelled with liquid oxygen and gasoline in place of things like gunpowder. The rocket did not achieve great heights but it did make profound changes on how rockets were made. Goddard was known as “the father of modern rocketry” and his advances in rocket science greatly contributed to the space program. -
Iron Lung
In 1929, Philip Drinker and Charles McKhann invented the “Drinker tank respirator”, aka the iron lung, at Harvard University. It was vital for patients suffering from the effects of polio such as diaphragm paralysis. It allowed them to live longer lives by placing the patient’s body inside an airtight metal box with a pump connected to it that changed the air pressure inside the box, aiding in respiration. It was a great medical invention was the foundation for the modern day ventilators.
