50 Great Inventions from Each of the US States
The United States of America The land of the free, Home of the brave -- inventors! With 50 different states, an area of 3.8 million square miles, and a population of nearly 330 million people, you can just imagine how many inventions have come from the U.S. Let's take a look at some of the best ones from each state.
1. Alabama: The Electric Hearing Aid Miller Reece Hutchinson had a friend who became deaf after getting scarlet fever, so Reece put all of his time and energy into trying to invent a hearing device. He finally succeeded in 1898, giving his friend the chance to hear again.
2. Alaska: The Kayak When you think kayak, you think a nice summer day, paddling in the water and taking a swim when the sun gets too hot. This doesn't sound like something you'd be able to do in Alaska. But the truth is, the Kayak wasn't invented for recreational purposes, but rather for hunting
3. Arizona: The Taser The same man who sent men to the moon, Jack Cover, also developed the Taser in his spare time. Taser is short for Thomas Swift Electric Rifle. Cover was fascinated by the stories about Tom Swift when he was a child, and that's why he decided to name the device after him.
4. Arkansas: Sound-Cinema If it weren't for a man named Freeman Owens, we might still be watching silent movies. He completely changed the movie making business when he created the process of putting sound onto film. We all thank you Freeman.
5. California: Google If you never use any of the other inventions that were created in the previously mentioned states, I know for a fact you're using google, like, right now. Thanks to Sergey Brin and Larry Page, we're able to search the internet for almost anything we want to know or see.
6. Colorado: The wheel clamp If you've ever parked somewhere you shouldn't have and you came back to find a big clamp on your wheel, you can thank Frank Marugg, who invented the wheel clamp for his friends in law enforcement.
7. Connecticut: Can Opener Connecticut's very own Ezra Warner created this device as an improvement to the method of using a hammer and a chisel to open cans. I must say, I do prefer her method to the old one.
8. Delaware: Kevlar Stephanie Kwolek created Kevlar in 1965. If you don't know what this is, well, it's actually the material that makes bulletproof vests, well, bulletproof. I know not everyone has a bulletproof vest, but I'm sure all the cops are pretty happy about this invention.
9. Florida: Air Conditioning how appropriate! When we're sitting in the office on a hot summer's day feeling the nice cool air blowing from the AC, we should thank John Gorrie, who invented it in 1841. If it were't for him, we'd be sitting in our own sweat all day.
10. Georgia: Coca-Cola Did you know that coca cola was first sold as a medicine before it became one of the best-selling sodas in the world? Pharmacist John Smith Pamberton invented it in the 1800's. It was advertised as a medicine that was beneficial to women, whose inactive employment causes depression. I guess I drink a good amount of medicine every day then.
11. Hawaii: The Surfboard This invention, other than the Kayak, fits the state it was created in. In this sunny, beach-vibe state, it would be unusual to not try surfing. Joseph Banks invented the surfboard in 1769.
12. Idaho: The Television The first blueprints for the television were actually drawn on a chemistry classroom blackboard back in the early 1900's by Idaho's Philo Farnsworth. Philo, as a farm boy, got his inspiration for scanning an image as a series of lines from the back-and-forth motion used to plow a field.
13. Illinois: The Cell Phone Invented by Martin Cooper in 1973, the first cell phone was a Motorola, which was first known as 'the brick' for its massive size. He was the first in history to make a handheld cellular phone call in public.
14. Indiana: Voicemail If you want to thank Scott Jones for creating Voicemail in the early 90's, please leave a message after the tone. Or leave it in the comments after this video. This invention made him rich enough to retire at age 31.
15. Iowa: The Tractor Farmer John Froelich was tired of dragging his steam-powered harvester through his fields, so he decided to invent the world's most famous tractor, the John Deere, in 1890. This was the first tractor invented that was stable and had gears to move forwards and backwards.
16. Kansas: The Helicopter Kansas native, Rex Maneval, developed the helicopter in 1939, although he never really got past the point of free flying without having the copter tied to the ground. In 1974, he donated the Maneval's Helicopter to the Kansas Historical Society.
17. Kentucky: Gas Mask Seeing how firefighters struggled to breathe while they were working, Garret Morgan decided to invent what was known as a "safety hood" in 1914. This device was later advanced to carry its own air source, which then earned it the modern name "gas mask".
18. Louisiana: Binocular Microscope John Riddell developed the first binocular microscope in 1852, which allows researchers to look through the scope with both eyes. He was one of the first people to do an extensive microscopic investigation, in which his focus was on the cholera disease.
19. Maine: The Diving Suit Leonard Norcross successfully invented the first fully enclosed diving suit in 1834, which he called "underwater armour". This suit allowed dreams to come true for all the people who wished that they could breathe underwater.
20. Maryland: Latex Medical Gloves Being the first chief of surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital, William Steward Halsted invented the latex gloves used by all doctors to prevent transferring germs to their patients. This was a massive turning point in medical history, as the transmission of germs was decreased significantly.
21. Massachusetts: Facebook I'm sure all, or at least most of us, use this social media platform to share our pictures and thoughts, and to communicate with our friends and family. Mark Zuckerberg first developed Facebook in his college dorm room at Harvard University in 2002.
22. Michigan: Assembly Line The assembly line is an efficient process for producing a mass of complex products. Ransom E. Olds was a pioneer in the American automotive industry, and the first person to use the assembly line process to put together automobiles. Using this process helped him to quintuple the production of his factory.
23. Minnesota: Post-It Notes You know those little notes your wife or mom leaves you in your lunch box telling you how much she loves you? Well, two scientists, Arthur Fry and Spencer Silver, created those post-it notes in Minnesota.
24. Mississippi: The Lung Transplant Technique James D. Hardy performed the very first human lung transplant at University Hospital in Jackson, Mississippi, in 1963. This was a game changer in the medical field, because it would mean an extension of life for many, and an enhancement in life to others.
25. Missouri: Ice Cream Cones One year at the St. Louis World's fair, an ice cream vendor ran out of cups. Thinking fast, he asked a nearby waffle vendor to roll up some waffles for the ice cream. Thus came the invention of the Ice Cream Cone we know today.
26. Montana: The Holter Monitor Test Norman Holter developed this test in 1947, which was the pioneer of heart monitors. The Holter moniter is a small device that measures your heart's rate and rhythm.
27. Nebraska: The Ski Lift Imagine going skiing, but having to hike all the way up the mountain first. You'd probably be too worn-out to even want to ski anymore. Because of James Curran, that isn't necessary, thanks to his invention of the ski lift in 1936.
28. Nevada: Blue Jeans Don't know what to wear? What do you put on? Jeans off course. Levi Strauss invented this iconic piece of clothing the blue jeans - in 1873.
29. New Hampshire: The Washing Machine We should all give a big thanks to Nathaniel Briggs, who invented the washing machine. Well, unless you enjoy washing your clothes in the tub.
30. New Jersey: The Lightbulb Most of us probably know that Thomas Edison invented the lightbulb. What we all don't know is that this invention happened in his laboratory, which was in Menlo Park, New Jersey.
31. New Mexico: The Clean Room In 1962, Willis Whitfield invented the cleanroom. This idea entailed a ceiling-to-floor forced-air system to protect experiments from being exposed to humidity, microbes and dust. This invention earned him the nickname "Mr Clean". Cleanrooms are used today to manufacture just about anything from screen prints to semiconductors.
32. New York: The Credit Card This invention again suits the state where it was invented. The credit card, of course, was invented in one of the best shopping spots on the planet, New York. John Biggins invented it in 1946. I'm guessing he had a bit of a shopping addiction.
33. North Carolina: The Airplane Wilbur and Orville, who are known as the Wright brothers, are American aviation pioneers who were the first to invent a man-powered flying machine in 1903. They named it the "Wright Flyer". If it were't for these two, fixed-wing powered flight might not have ever existed.
34. North Dakota: Cream of Wheat This is a type of breakfast, which is, as the name gives away, made out of wheat. It was invented by Wheat millers in Grand Forks, and in 1893, made its debut at the world's fair in Chicago.
35. Ohio: The Three-Color Traffic Signal Garrett Morgan was known for many amazing inventions, one of which is the three-color traffic signal we use in our everyday lives. He completely revolutionized driving, as we know it. After all, can you drive anywhere without hitting a traffic light?
36. Oklahoma: The Electric Guitar If you were ever wondering whom completely transformed the rock and roll industry, it was Bob Dunn. He was the first person to electrify his guitar. He was even elected to the steel guitar hall of fame back in 1992.
37. Oregon: The Computer mouse The computer mouse you use to control the cursor on your computer was actually invented in Oregon by Douglas Engelbart back in 1964. Engelbart initially named it bug which I think is also a suitable name, since it does kind of look like a bug.
38. Pennsylvania: The Fire Hydrant Frederick Graff changed the old pipe system of water works from wood to iron. His work was so good that he supplied details of the pipe system to other states in the U.S. You can bet dogs across America are thankful for Mr. Graff's invention!
39. Rhode Island: Diners If you love eating burgers and drinking coffee at your favorite diner, Walter Scott is the man to thank. In 1872, Scott invented a horse drawn restaurant, which was the birth of diners. He was the father of the first of many diners loved by America.
40. South Carolina: The Submarine The Confederate Army manufactured the first successful submarine in South Carolina. A submarine is the only underwater watercraft that can be used for transportation. This was a ground breaking invention for the military.
41. South Dakota: The Cyclotron We've all heard of the Cyclotron right? Well only some of us of a certain age do, and it was invented in South Dakota by Ernest Lawrence in 1932. It's an early form of particle accelerator. If that clears anything up.
42. Tennessee: Cotton Candy Cotton Candy was born in Nashville Tennessee. The inventers were John Wharton and William Morrison, who initially named it Fairy Floss. I kind of like the original name. Don't know why they changed it.
43. Texas: The Electric Typewriter One day while typing at a snail's pace, almost falling asleep, James Field Smathers realized that there was a great need to increase the speed of typing. To him, electric power seemed to be the obvious answer. In 1912, his invention of the electric typewriter was no longer just a dream.
44. Utah: Airbags In the 1980's, George Kirchoff perfected the invention of a bag which inflates quickly and then deflates during a crash. This was the invention of airbags, which first saved lives in Utah, and later all around the world.
45. Vermont: Paddle Wheel Steamer Samuel Morey invented this steam-driven paddleboat in 1826. The most important characteristic of this boat was the paddle wheel, which was actually an extremely old idea dating back to the 1700's. This boat was famous on the Mississippi and Missouri rivers.
46. Virginia: Camouflage Roanoke's James Crumley invented camouflage in 1978 as hunting gear. He had hunted and fished with his father since he was a child. Nowadays we don't only wear camo when going hunting. It's actually become a great fashion trend.
47. Washington: The Jumbo Jet In 1969, a huge aircraft as tall as a sixty-story building was invented in Everet, Washington. This aircraft that could seat 374 passengers can now be seen at Seattle's Museum of Flight. It amazes me that such a massive object can actually stay in the sky.
48. West Virginia: The Steamboat No one really knew who James Rumsey was, until in 1787, when he presented the first steamboat in front of a massive crowd of prominent people. He showed them the pump driven by steam power, ejecting a stream of water from the stern of the boat and pushing the boat forward.
49. Wisconsin: The Spacesuit The man known as The spacesuit Fatherâ€, Siegfried Hansen, was the inventor of the Mark I spacesuit in the 1950's. This suit had bendable arms, a solid torso and it permitted the person wearing it to use the external environment.
50. Wyoming: The Garage Door Opener Elmer Lovejoy, in Wyoming, invented the first garage door opener in 1918. This might not be a necessity, but I would much rather just press a button to open the garage than have to get out of the car for it each time. So I guess it does make life a little easier doesn't it? Which of these inventions do you think is the best? Let me know down in the comments. If you learned something new today, t share it with a friend. But hey! don't go inventing the next big thing just yet! We have many cool posts for you to check out.
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