Timeline for inventions from 1800 to 1920

Battery

Jan 10, 1800

Count Alessandro Volta invents the battery.

Electric Lamp

Jan 10, 1809

Humphry Davy invents the first electric light - the first arc lamp. Makes home life easier for people with the money to buy one.

Locomotive

Jan 10, 1814

George Stephenson designs the first steam locomotive. Eventually makes travel over long distances much easier. Also alows massive amounts of goods to be transported across land easily.

First Photograph

Jan 10, 1814

Joseph Nicéphore Niépce was the first person to take a photograph. He took the picture by setting up a machine called the camera obscura in the window of his home in France. It took eight hours for the camera to take the picture.

Electromagnet

Jan 10, 1825

William Sturgeon invented the electromagnet.

Typewriter

Jan 10, 1829

American, W.A. Burt invents a typewriter. Alows papers and books to be written more efficiently

McCormick Reaper

Jan 10, 1831

American, Cyrus McCormick invents the first commercially successful reaper. Reduces the amount of work needed to harvest crops. Production increases.

Corn Planter

Jan 10, 1834

Henry Blair patents a corn planter, he is the second black person to receive a U.S. patent. Makes it far easier to plant one of the main staple crops of the North and Midwest

Wrench

Jan 1, 1835

Solymon Merrick patents the wrench.

Photography

Jan 10, 1835

Englishmen, Henry Talbot invents calotype photography.

Propeller

Jan 10, 1835

Englishmen, Francis Pettit Smith invents the propeller.

Calculator

Oct 1, 1835

Charles Babbage invents a mechanical calculator

Revolver

Jan 1, 1836

Samuel Colt invented the first revolver. makes life on the frontier more and less dangerous. this invention is widely used in the Civil War

Telegraph

Jan 10, 1836

Samuel Morse invents the telegraph. Begins a time of lightning fast communication

Morse code

Jan 1, 1838

Samual Morse invents Morse Code. This system of tones is used to turn the telegraph into an effective mode of comunication

Bicycle

Jan 1, 1839

Kirkpatrick Macmillan invents a bicycle

Hydrogen Fuel Cell

Jan 1, 1839

Welshmen, Sir William Robert Grove conceives of the first hydrogen fuel cell.

Grain Elevator

Jan 10, 1842

Joseph Dart builds the first grain elevator. Makes daily life easier.

Mercerized Cotton

Jan 1, 1844

Englishmen, John Mercer invents mercerized cotton. gives cotton a glossy glow. Improves the quality and astethitic apeal of cotton clothes.

Anesthesia for Desntistry

Jan 1, 1846

Dr. William Morton, a Massachusetts dentist, is the first to use anesthesia for tooth extraction. Allows dentistry work to be done far less painfully making dentist appointments more pleasurable.

Antisceptics

Jan 10, 1847

Hungarian, Ignaz Semmelweis invents antisceptics. A ground breaking invention in the medical industry still used today.

Dishwasher

Jan 1, 1850

Joel Houghton was granted the first patent for a dishwasher. Makes home life easier for those who can afford it.

Gyroscope.

Jan 1, 1852

Jean Bernard Léon Foucault invents gyroscope. First used as a teaching aid. Now, it is what makes the screen "flip" on your iphone.

Fiber Optics

Jan 1, 1854

John Tyndall demonstrates the principles of fiber optics. First used as a teaching aid. Now it is the main cable in use for internet and phone cables.

Bessemer Process

Jun 5, 1855

Bessemer Process
Bessemer Process invented by Henry Bessemer, a new and easier way to convert iron into steel. This makes steel far easier to get and is used to make many things from sky-skrapers to knives.

Sleeping train car

Jun 5, 1855

George Pullman invents the Pullman Sleeping Car for train travel. Makes long travel on trains more bearable.

Washing machine

Jun 5, 1858

Hamilton Smith patents the rotary washing machine. Makes home life far easier for those fortunate enough to have one.

Internal Combustion Engine

Jun 5, 1858

Jean Lenoir invents an internal combustion engine. leads to the firts automobiles, motorcycles and many other motor driven vehicles.

Cylinder Lock

Jan 1, 1861

Linus Yale invents the Yale lock or cylinder lock. Makes door locks easier and cheaper to manufacture. Similar locks are still used today.

Elevator Safety Brakes

Jun 5, 1861

Elisha Otis patents elevator safety brakes, creating a safer elevator.

Plastic

Jan 1, 1862

Alexander Parkes invents the first man-made plastic. Makes a lighter, cheaper solid to use in industry. Very widely used today.

Machine Gun

Oct 1, 1862

Richard Gatling patents his machine gun. Revolutionalizes war. Names it the Gatling gun.

Torpedo

Apr 13, 1866

Englishmen Robert Whitehead invents a torpedo. A new weapon used to deystroy ships. Newer versions are still used today.

Dynamite

Jul 2, 1866

Alfred Nobel invents dynamite. An explosive that makes excavation easier and more dangerous. Still widely used today.

Modern Typewriter

Jan 9, 1867

Christopher Scholes invents the first practical and modern typewriter. Typewriters are easily available. This revolutionalizes the business and writing worlds

Traffic Lights

Jan 10, 1868

J P Knight invents traffic lights.

Tungsten Steel

Feb 2, 1868

Robert Mushet invents tungsten steel.

Air Brakes

Feb 8, 1868

George Westinghouse invents air brakes.

Mail-Order Catalog

May 17, 1868

A.M. Ward issues the first mail-order catalog. Makes products easily available for people in the back country.

Barbed Wire

Oct 24, 1873

Joseph Glidden invents barbed wire.

Earmuffs

Dec 5, 1873

Earmuffs were invented by Chester Greenwood in 1873, when he was only fifteen years old. Earmuffs were made for safety purposes, and it consisted of a metal or plastic headband attatching the two muffs together.

Electric Dental Drill

Dec 5, 1875

The first electric dental drill was patented by George F. Green in 1875. By 1912 the drills could reach speeds of up to 3000rpm (rotations per minute). Green's invention revolutionized denistry in the United States.

Telephone

Oct 24, 1876

Alexander Graham Bell patents the telephone. Makes long distance instant comunication posible for the everyday person.

Phonograph

Oct 24, 1877

Thomas Edison invents the ylinder phonograph or tin foil phonograph. Makes home life more enjoyable to those who can afford it.

Movies

Oct 24, 1877

Eadweard Muybridge invents the first moving pictures or movies

Electric Lightbulb

Oct 24, 1878

Sir Joseph Wilson Swan was the first person to invent a practical and longer-lasting electic lightbulb. Begins the electric revolution.

First Practical Light Bulb

Nov 26, 1879

Thomas Edison invents the first practical and commercially available light bulb. Electric light soon becomes widely abailable making home life far easier.

Toilet Paper

Oct 24, 1880

The British Perforated Paper Company invents a form of toilet paper.

Roll Film

Nov 26, 1881

David Houston patents the roll film for cameras. Will allow for millions of Americans to posses cameras and use them easily

Metal Detector

Nov 26, 1881

Alexander Graham Bell invents the first crude metal detector.

Player Paino

Nov 26, 1881

Edward Leveaux patents the automatic player piano. A great entertainment peace for homes or resturaunts for those who could afford it.

Electric Iorn

Dec 5, 1881

The eletric iron, an appliance used to remove wrinkles from various fabrics, was first invented by Henry W. Seely in New York, and was patented a year later. The iron stretches the fibers in a fabric through the use of heat, smoothening the fabric when it cools.

The Thermostat

Dec 5, 1883

A thermostat is a device used for regulating the temperature of a system. The thermostat switches the heating and cooling systems as needed to maintain a steady temperature. It was invented in 1883 by Warren S. Johnson.

Solar Cell

Dec 5, 1883

Using junctions coated with selenium and an extremely thin layer of gold, Charles Fritts had invented the solar cell. A solar cell is a device that directly converts the energy in light into electrical energy through the process discored in 1839 called the photovoltaic effect.

Cash Register

Oct 24, 1884

James Ritty invents the first working, mechanical cash register. Changes business life drastically.

Steam Trubine

Oct 24, 1884

Charles Parson patents the steam turbine

Fountain Pen

Oct 24, 1884

Lewis Edson Waterman invents the first practical fountain pen..

Skyscraper

Dec 5, 1885

The first skyscraper in the world was built in Chicago (After the Great Fire of 1871, Chigaco had been the hot spot for many risky architectual experiments.) This skyscraper was a 10-story Home Insurance Company Building completed in 1885, and was designed by William Le Baron Jenney from Massachusetts.

Coca Cola

Nov 21, 1886

John Pemberton invents coca cola, a drink we still have today. minus the cocaine ofcourse

Gamaphone

Nov 21, 1887

Emile Berliner invents the first Gamaphone

Contact Lenses

Nov 21, 1887

F.E Muller and Adolf Fick invent the first wearable contact lenses. These are the beginning of a vast contact industry we have today

Radar

Nov 22, 1887

German, Heinrich Hertz invents radar. Still used today to detect airplanes, read the speed of moving objects, and many other things.

AC Motor

Nov 22, 1888

Nikola Tesla invents the AC motor and transformer.

Ballpoint Pen

Dec 5, 1888

The ballpoint pen was a creation of John Loud of Weymouth, Massachusetts. He was an American leather tanner, and invented the ballpoint pen in 1888. The ballpoint pen had a chamber filled with ink that dispensed at the tip as the small sphere tip rolled.

Cordite

Nov 22, 1889

Sir James Dewar and Sir Frederick Abel co-invent Cordite - a type of smokeless gunpowder.

Escalator

Nov 22, 1891

Jesse W. Reno invents the escalator. newer versions are still in use today.

Diesel Engine

Nov 22, 1892

Rudolf Diesel invents the diesel-fueled internal combustion engine.

Zipper

Nov 22, 1893

American, W.L. Judson invented the zipper. it revolutionized the clothing industry.

Movie Camera

Nov 22, 1895

Lumiere brothers make the first movie camera made up from a film processing unit and a projector.

Muffler

Dec 5, 1897

The internal combustion engine muffler was invented and patented in 1897 by Milton O. Reeves. The muffler is a device that reduces the noise put out by a machine. The exhaust blows through the muffler in the internal combusion engine.

Roller Coaster

Nov 22, 1898

Edwin Prescott patents the roller coaster. Provides fun for the Whole Family! Begins amusement parks.

Vacuum cleaner

Nov 22, 1899

John Thurman patents the motor-driven vacuum cleaner. Cheaper and more modern looking vaccumm cleaner. Made life easier for the wealthy

Zeppelin

Nov 22, 1900

The zeppelin invented by Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin. Made Air travel possible, even across the Atlantic Ocean.

Safety Razor

Nov 22, 1901

King Camp Gillette invents the double-edged safety razor.

Radio Reciever

Nov 22, 1901

The first radio receiver, successfully received a radio transmission. The very begnings of radio brodcast that we all enjoy today.

Nickel-Iron Battery

Dec 5, 1901

First discovered by Waldemar Jungner in 1899, the nick-iron battery was developed by Thomas Edison in 1901. Edision developed the battery for it to be used as an energy source for electric vehicles. Edison states that the nickel-iron design was "far superior to batteries using lead plates and acid."

Polygraph Machine

Nov 22, 1902

The lie detector or polygraph machine is invented by James Mackenzie.

Neon Light

Nov 22, 1902

George Claude invented neon light.

Air Conditioner

Nov 22, 1902

Willis Carrier invents the air conditioner.

Crayons

Nov 22, 1903

Edward Binney and Harold Smith co-invent crayons.

Airplane

Nov 22, 1903

The Wright brothers invent the first gas motored and manned airplane. This new invention eventualy evolves the transportation world.

Bottle Making Machine

Nov 22, 1903

Bottle-making machinery invented by Michael J. Owens.

Tractor

Nov 22, 1904

Benjamin Holt invents a tractor. Makes the farming industry farm more streamlined. removes some of the back breaking labor.

Theory of Relitvity

Nov 22, 1905

Albert Einstein published the Theory of Relativity and made famous the equation, E = mc2. A break through in the areas of science and mathematics.

Corn Flakes

Nov 22, 1906

William Kellogg invents Cornflakes

Sonar

Nov 22, 1906

Lewis Nixon invents the first sonar like device.

Helicopter

Nov 22, 1907

The very first piloted helicopter was invented by Paul Cornu. Another revolution in the newly begining flight industry.

Model T

Nov 22, 1908

Model T first sold by Ford Motor Company. Ford's automobile made the automobile easy to buy for many families.

Artifical Nitrates

Nov 22, 1908

Fritz Haber invents the Haber Process for making artificial nitrates which are used in fertalizer.

Geiger Counter

Nov 22, 1908

J W Geiger and W Müller invent the geiger counter which measures radiaton. Used widely throughout the Nuclear industry today.

Instant Coffee

Nov 22, 1909

Instant coffee invented by G. Washington. Makes coffe easier to make and far more enjoyable for the everyday person.

Suppressor

Dec 5, 1909

The suppressor was a silencer attached to the barrel of a gun to reduce the ammount of noise and flash produced. It was typically a metal tube with internal mechanisms that served the purpose of muffling the sound. The silencer was invented by Hiram Percy Maxim in 1909.

Movies with sound

Nov 22, 1910

Thomas Edison demonstrated the first talking motion picture.

Electric Ignition for Cars

Nov 22, 1911

Charles Franklin Kettering invents the first automobile electrical ignition system. Makes starting your car far easier, before you had to hand crank the car to start it.

Moterized movie cameras

Nov 22, 1912

Motorized movie cameras invented, replaced hand-cranked cameras.

Military Tanks

Nov 22, 1912

The first tank patented by Australian inventor De La Mole.

Life savers candy

Nov 22, 1912

Clarence Crane created Life Savers candy in 1912.

Ecstacy

Nov 22, 1913

The Merck Chemical Company patented, what is now know as, ecstasy.

Crossword puzzle

Nov 22, 1913

The crossword puzzle invented by Arthur Wynne. A new form of puzzle for newspapers to publish and for people to enjoy.

Gas Mask

Nov 22, 1914

Garrett A. Morgan invents the Morgan gas mask. Used widely in WWI and 2.

Pyrex

Nov 22, 1915

Eugene Sullivan and William Taylor co-invented Pyrex a less breakable glasswere

Radio Tuners

Nov 22, 1916

Radio tuners invented, that received different stations.

Stainless Steel

Nov 22, 1916

Stainless steel invented by Henry Brearly. Reformed the steel industry, used widely today from drill bits to sailboat parts.

Tow Truck

Dec 5, 1916

The tow truck is a vehicle used to transport other vehicles to a location, typically being a repair garage. The tow truck was invented by Ernest Holmes Sr. from Chattanooga, Tennessee in 1916. He was inspired to invent this after having to pull a car out of a creek by used "blocks, ropes, and six men."

Superheterodyne Radio Circuit

Nov 22, 1918

The superheterodyne radio circuit invented by Edwin Howard Armstrong. Today, every radio or television set uses this invention.

Forune Cookies

Nov 22, 1918

Charles Jung invented fortune cookies.

Pop-up Toaster

Nov 26, 1919

The pop-up toaster invented by Charles Strite. Made home life easier for the everyday person.

Arc Welding

Nov 26, 1919

Arc Welding Invented

Short-Wave Radio

Nov 26, 1919

Short-wave radio invented.

Flip Flop Circuit

Nov 26, 1919

The flip flop circuit invented by William Eccles and F. W. Jordan.

Band-Aid

Nov 26, 1920

The Band-Aid invented by Earle Dickson

Thompson Machine Gun

Nov 26, 1920

The tommy gun patented by John T Thompson.