{"id":35267,"date":"2023-11-14T07:47:01","date_gmt":"2023-11-14T07:47:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.teachingexpertise.com\/?p=35267"},"modified":"2024-04-18T09:34:22","modified_gmt":"2024-04-18T09:34:22","slug":"famous-inventors-your-students-should-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.teachingexpertise.com\/history\/famous-inventors-your-students-should-know\/","title":{"rendered":"From Lightbulbs To The Internet: Famous Inventors Your Students Should Know"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

From the men who invented practical devices such as light bulbs and safety lamps to the women who created the ice cream machine and made remarkable medical advancements, we’ve rounded up a list of 68 phenomenal inventors. Join us as we take a look at the incredible artists, inventors, scientists, and doctors who have changed the face of history and made our lives a whole lot easier!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Leonardo Da Vinci<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Leonardo da Vinci really did it all! He was a scientist, artist, architect, inventor, and engineer! Apart from his artwork, da Vinci is also well known for his sketches that capture the brilliance of his ideas in science and technology. One of his aerial sketches is even thought to have contributed to the later invention of the helicopter!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn More: Da Vinci Inventions<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Thomas Edison<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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American inventor Thomas Edison is best known for his invention of the light bulb. In 1879 he created a long-burning carbon filament that would later be named the light bulb. When working on improving the telephone and the telegraph in 1887, he also invented the phonograph by figuring out a way to record sound on tinfoil cylinders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn More: Thought Co.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Alexander Graham Bell<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Before Thomas Edison’s light bulb, Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone in 1876. Bell’s invention directly resulted from his efforts to improve the telegraph and revolutionized communication by allowing people to transmit speech electronically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn More: Thought Co.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Nikola Tesla<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Nikola Tesla didn’t receive much credit for his inventions, but we can credit him for a number of our modern-day machines. Tesla is responsible for inventing the alternating current, the electric motor, and even remote-controlled boats!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn More: Smithsonian Mag<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. The Montgolfier Brothers<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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If you’ve ever flown in a hot air balloon, you have the Montgolfier brothers to thank! The idea first occurred to Joseph Montgolfier in 1782 as he sat in front of his fireplace and wondered what caused the smoke and sparks to rise. The first hot air balloon was then built of silk and lined with paper before taking flight in June 1783.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn More: Thales<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. Robert Fulton<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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When he made his debut in the working world, Robert Fulton was regarded as a great artist. It wasn’t until his interest in steam engines drew him into the world of invention that his first great creation was born. In 1807, this interest led to Fulton’s invention of the first commercial steamboat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn More: Lancaster Online<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. Louis Daguerre<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Louis Daguerre worked as a professional scene painter for the opera. While using camera obscura to paint large backdrops, he created the daguerreotype. This important invention was the first widely available photographic process that would later lead to modern photography.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn More: Gallery Intell<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

8. Archimedes<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Archimedes was a famed Greek mathematician and inventor. Without his designs, life as we know it would be very different. He was the first person to realize the power of the lever and used this knowledge to invent the first heavy-duty pulley system as well as the screw.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn More: Britannica Kids<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

9. Humphry Davy <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Humphry Davy was a renowned scientist and chemist. He is responsible for isolating a wide array of chemical elements, including potassium and sodium. He also realized the anesthetic properties of nitrous oxide (laughing gas) and was part of the team that discovered boron.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn More: Britannica Kids<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

10. Johannes Gutenberg<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Between 1440 and 1450, Johannes Gutenberg worked hard to create and perfect the first printing press. His first invention only printed 250 pages an hour, and the letters had to be moved around in the machine in order to print new words. Imagine if that was still the case for all the printing that goes on today!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn More: The Sun<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

11. Marie Curie<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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This amazing woman was the first scientist to win two Nobel prizes and the only one to win in two different categories: physics and chemistry! Marie Curie discovered radium and polonium and invented the theory of radioactivity. Her work has made important advancements in finding treatments for cancer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn More: Book Trust<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

12. Nancy Johnson<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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The next time you enjoy an ice cream on a hot summer’s day, think of Nancy Johnson!  In 1843, Nancy created the hand-operated ice cream machine, and thanks to her the world has been enjoying delicious frozen treats ever since!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn More: JAMS<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

13. Maria Telkes<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Solar power has made huge strides in recent years, but it was Maria Telkes who, in 1947, first created a thermoelectric power generator. Applying this technology, she went on to design the first solar heating system and thermoelectric refrigerator- enabling a 100% solar-powered house!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn More: One<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

14. Margaret E. Knight<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Margaret Knight is most noteworthy for her invention of the machine that made the creation of paper bags possible, and had to go to court to prove this idea belonged to her! She designed over 100 machines during the course of her career but only patented 20 of them. Some of these include; a shoe-cutting machine, a window frame with a sash, and even a rotary engine!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn More: A Mighty Girl<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

15. Josephine Cochrane<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Josephine Cochrane is responsible for the ingenious invention that makes cleaning our kitchens that much easier! She developed the idea for the mechanical dishwasher that used a pressurized spray of water to clean dishes. Josephine received her patent in 1886 and began marketing dishwashers to large hotels before launching them as a household necessity in 1893.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn More: A Mighty Girl<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

16. Dr. Shirley Jackson<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Dr. Shirley Jackson is at the heart of the invention of fiber optic communications. She also happens to be the first Black woman to earn a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dr. Jackson’s telecommunication research led to other inventions like fiber optic cables. You can also thank her for helping create caller ID and call waiting on mobile phones!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn More: Blue Host<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

17. Patricia Era Bath<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Patricia Bath invented the laser phaco probe- a medical device still in use to this very day! Her invention helps doctors on a global scale remove cataracts in a fast and pain-free manner. Without this invention, many more cataract patients would have experienced blindness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn More: Blue Host<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

18. Tabitha Babbitt <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n
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One might not think much of a typical weaver worker, but Tabitha Babbitt is the woman responsible for revolutionizing the wood-cutting industry. Babbitt attached a circular blade to her spinning wheel, and in doing so, invented the more efficient circular saw!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn More: iDesign<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

19. Ellen Fitz<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Thanks to Ellen Fitz, the study of geography changed forever! In 1875, while working as a tutor in Canada, Ms. Fitz invented a globe mount that could show the earth’s daily and annual orbit around the sun!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn More: USA Today<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

20. Maria Beasley<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Maria Beasley’s invention has saved countless lives throughout the years. Her ideas revolutionized the common life raft from a simple plank to a more safety-conscious device. Beasley designed an emergency raft that was fireproof and easily foldable for storage. She even added guard rails to ensure that passengers were safer during passage!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn More: Invention Land<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

21. Henry Ford<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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We can’t delve into the greatest inventors without mentioning Henry Ford! Ford invented the assembly line that helped make building cars more efficient and used this process to manufacture the famous Model T Ford. By 1918, because of its inexpensive construction and ease of use, more than half the cars in the United States were Model T’s!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn More: The Henry Ford<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

22. Samuel Morse <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Along with the telegraph, Samuel Morse was responsible for inventing the Morse code. Morse code is represented by a series of dots, spaces, and dashes that symbolize various letters, numerals, and punctuation. In 1844, he used this system for the first time across long distances by sending a message from Baltimore to Washington!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn More: Education To The Core<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

23. Eli Whitney<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Eli Whitney’s ingenious invention of the cotton gin made separating seeds from cotton possible. He received his patent in 1794 before revolutionizing the cotton industry by inventing methods of mass production. This efficient technique was used to turn fibers into fabric for sheets, clothing, and more!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn More: Education To The Core<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

24. Wilhelm Rontgen<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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This inventor was experimenting with a vacuum when he discovered what is now known as the X-ray! In 1895, Professor Wilhelm Rontgen was conducting experiments when he discovered a ray that could create radiographic images. This led to the modern X-ray machine and to Rontgen receiving the Nobel Prize in physics!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn More: The Archive<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

25. Jeronimo de Ayanz y Beaumont\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n