Inventors change the world

Born: March 3, 1847 in Edinburgh, Scotland

With the spoken words "come here!" Alexander Graham Bell proved that voice, not just telegraphic signals, carried over wires. Bell's 1876 invention for the first time let people actually speak across distances. A devoted teacher of the deaf and with relentless curiosity about sound, his discoveries revolutionized global communications. 

Born: November 30, 1835, in Florida, Missouri

Mark Twain, best known as an author and a humorist, secured patents for practical inventions, including an adjustable garment strap and a commercially successful self-pasting scrapbook.  He actively pursued intellectual property and product development, showing that creative thinking can drive both storytelling and invention. 

Born: December 12,1945 in Buenos Aires, Argentina 

Julio Palmaz invented the balloon-expandable stent, a small mesh tube placed inside arteries to keep them open and help blood flow. Before his idea, many patients faced risky surgery or limited treatment options. The stent changed heart care by giving doctors a safer way to treat disease, and it has saved millions of lives worldwide. 

Born: February 11, 1847 in Milan, Ohio

Thomas Edison received over one thousand patents during his lifetime, including patents on the incandescent electric lamp, the phonograph, the carbon telephone transmitter, and the motion-picture projector. In addition, he is credited with developing one of the world's first industrial research laboratories.

Born: February 10, 1931 in Prince Edward County, Virginia

James West and co-inventor Gerhard Sessler developed the Electroacoustic Transducer, more commonly known as the Electret Microphone, U.S. Patent No. 3118022. Ninety percent of all microphones produced annually and used in everyday items such as telephones, hearing aids, camcorders, and multimedia computers employ West and Sessler's technology. West holds over 200 U.S. and foreign patents.

Related Links

• Journeys of Innovation series: Going beyond the horizon

• Interview of National Inventors Hall of Fall Inductee James West [video]

Born: February 12, 1809 in Hodgenville, Kentucky

Abraham Lincoln, prior to becoming President Lincoln, was an avid boater and traveled on the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, where his boat often got stuck on sandbars and needed to be lifted out. In 1849 Lincoln invented a method for Buoying Vessels Over Shoals, making him the first and only U.S. President to receive a patent.

Born: May 14, 1955 in New York, New York

Marian Rogers Croak, Ph.D., developed inventions that made phone calls more reliably and securely transmittable over the internet. She is a pioneer in the advancement of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). Dr. Croak is a technology team leader, mentor, and mother of three who holds over 200 patents. She inspires others through her commitment to innovation, leadership, and service.

Related Links

• Inventor Card Unveiling: Marian Croak (video)
• USPTO Speaker Series: Marian Croak (video)
• Journeys of Innovation series: Positively connected
• Q&A from the Inventor Series Fireside Chat
• Classroom resource: Marian Croak Trading Card lesson plan

Born: May 10, 1958 in Los Angeles, California

Ellen Ochoa, a veteran of three NASA Space Shuttle flight missions and the first Hispanic-American woman in space, is a co-inventor on three patents for an optical inspection system, an optical object recognition method, and a method for noise removal in images. Her inventions significantly increased the ability to capture and analyze finely detailed imagery, with applications in space and on the Earth.

Related Links

• Women in Innovation: NASA’s Dr. Ellen Ochoa
• Ellen Ochoa Trading Card lesson plan
  • Create a hologram projector

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is the federal agency responsible for issuing patents and registering trademarks. A patent is a property right granted to an inventor by the government that gives the inventor the right to exclude others from making, using, selling, or offering for sale her or his invention without permission for a limited period of time. In exchange, the inventor agrees to make the invention public.

Born: March 2, 1844 in Colchester, Ontario

Elijah J. McCoy invented devices to automatically lubricate steam engines in locomotives, ships, and factory equipment. He received his first patent in 1873. Legend says his workmanship was so exceptional that companies would request "the real McCoy" as a way to distinguish his products from imitations. The first USPTO satellite office, located in Detroit, Michigan, is named after McCoy.

Born: March 7, 1849 in Lancaster, Massachusetts

Luther Burbank developed more than 800 strains and varieties of plants, including 113 varieties of plums and prunes, 10 varieties of berries, and 50 varieties of lilies. The Freestone peach and the Russet Burbank potato are among his best known strains. The Plant Patent Act of 1930 made it possible for plant breeders to seek greater patent protection for their discoveries. Burbank's patents were received posthumously.

Born: July 10, 1856 in Smiljan, Croatia

Nikola Tesla invented the induction motor with rotating magnetic field that made unit drives for machines feasible and made AC (Alternating Current) power transmission an economic necessity. AC is the form in which electricity is carried to homes and businesses. Tesla had over 100 U.S. patents and over 200 patents worldwide.

Born: October 31, 1860 in Savannah, Georgia

Juliette Gordon Low founded the Girl Scouts® organization and was an inventor with two patents. She received a utility patent for a liquid container to use in trash cans and a design patent for a badge shaped like a trefoil symbolizing the three parts to the Girl Scout Promise. The Trefoil design is now a registered trademark of GSUSA and has identified its members for over 100 years.

Related Links

• Journeys of Innovation series: A patent for girls’ empowerment

Born: July 12, 1864 in Diamond Grove, Missouri

George Washington Carver developed crop-rotation methods for conserving nutrients in soil and discovered hundreds of new uses for crops such as peanuts, sweet potatoes, and soybeans. Although Washington did hold three patents, he never patented most of his many discoveries.

Born: September 28, 1887 in Raleigh, North Carolina

Beulah Henry was a prolific inventor with 49 U.S. patents and over 100 inventions credited to her name. She received her first patent at the age of 25 for a vacuum-sealed ice cream freezer. Her numerous inventions included improvements to sewing machines, typewriters, cash registers, umbrellas, dolls, and toys. Henry founded two companies of her own and served as a consultant to many more.

Related Links

• Journeys of Innovation series: There's a better way of doing that
• Beulah Henry Trading Card lesson plan

Born: November 9, 1914 in Vienna, Austria

This movie star developed a "Secret Communication System." By manipulating radio frequencies, the invention formed an unbreakable code to prevent classified messages from being intercepted by enemy personnel. The invention would galvanize the digital communications boom, forming the technical backbone that makes cellular phones, fax machines, and other wireless operations possible.

Born: January 12, 1916 in New Orleans, Louisiana

Ruth Benerito was a research chemist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Southern Regional Research Laboratories in New Orleans, where she led the team that invented wrinkle-free cotton. She holds over 50 U.S. patents, most related to cotton. She also pioneered a method of delivering intravenous nourishment to wounded soldiers too sick to eat. The delivery system was used during the Korean War.

Born: June 9, 1921 in Stoughton, Massachusetts

Forrest M. Bird is the inventor of the first convenient and reliable, low cost, mass-produced medical respirator, referred to as a medical ventilator in Bird's patent number 3842828. Bird also helped reduce infant mortality rates in babies with respiratory issues with his invention dubbed the "Babybird Respirator" whose technology traces back to patent number 3191596.

Related Links

• Forrest Bird: "Waiting to Exhale" invention challenge

Born: July 25, 1922 in Jena, Germany

John Goodenough is often referred to as the father of the lithium-ion battery. He developed materials that provide the high-energy density required to power portable electronics. Batteries incorporating Goodenough's materials are used globally for mobile phones, laptops and other wireless devices, as well as power tools and electric and hybrid vehicles. He holds numerous patents, and authored eight books and more than 800 journal articles.

Born: February 20, 1923 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Helen Murray Free and her husband, Alfred Free, developed the first dip-and-read test strips for use in diagnostic testing. Their work revolutionized the field of urinalysis and led to many self-testing systems for people with diabetes. Free held numerous patents and was a champion of science education and outreach. The American Chemical Society created the Helen M. Free Public Outreach Award to honor her.

Born: June 2, 1930 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Conrad was a member of the NASA Apollo 12 Mission, where he became the third person to walk on the moon and the first person to "dance" on it. He co-invented and received a U.S. patent for a Multiple Access Satellite Communications Network to reduce the cost of satellite communication systems — a technology used for television, telephone, radio, internet, and military applications.

Born: July 31, 1923 in New Kensington, Pennsylvania

Stephanie Kwolek invented poly-paraphenylene terephtalamide, a polymer material that is 5 times stronger than steel on an equal weight basis. The materials, marketed under the Kevlar® brand, have many applications ranging from bicycle tires and racing sails to vests used by police and military personnel.

Born: January 18, 1933 in Portland, Oregon

Ray Dolby is best known for his work in noise reduction and surround sound technologies. He invented an electronic filter known as the Dolby® noise reduction sound system. His technology is widely used in movies, cinemas, personal computers and home theater equipment. He held over 50 U.S. patents and founded Dolby® Laboratories.

Born: July 10, 1937 in Beijing, China

Alfred Cho is known as the father of "molecular beam epitaxy," a technique that he invented. His work significantly affected the semiconductor industry and led to many new devices including high-speed transistors, microwave devices, and remote sensing detectors. His technology is also used in CD/DVD players, mobile phones, and global positioning systems. He holds 85 U.S. patents.

Born: January 9, 1950 in Oxford, United Kingdom

Alec Jeffreys invented DNA fingerprinting, now the gold standard of proof of identity for law enforcement officials around the world. He also invented DNA profiling, which has helped reunite families with long lost family members. Jeffries holds 6 U.S. patents.

Born: August 11, 1950 in San Jose, California

Steve Wozniak, known as "Woz," invented the first true personal computer, the Apple I and Apple II. He also co-founded Apple Computers with Steve Jobs. As a child, Woz was interested in mathematics and electronics and made many homemade devices from kits and from scratch including radios, calculators, voltmeters, and electronic games. He holds 4 U.S. patents.

Born: May 30, 1956 in Atlanta, Georgia

T. David Petite is one of the early inventors of the wireless ad hoc network or Wireless Mesh Technology that enables all mobile phones to work today. He is a member of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa tribe and founder of the Native American Intellectual Property Enterprise Council, a non-profit organization helping Native American inventors and communities around the country. Petite has over 50 U.S. patents.

Related links

• Thomas David Petite Trading Card lesson plan

Born: November 9, 1959 in Los Angeles, California

Rory Cooper is a distinguished professor of rehabilitation engineering at the University of Pittsburgh and a senior career scientist for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. His team has developed over 100 inventions and received 25 patents related to technologies including wheelchairs, robots, and wearable instruments that have significantly improved the lives of people with disabilities and military veterans.

Image courtesy of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Related Links

• Journeys of Innovation series: Engineering a better life
• Educational materials:
  • Trading Card Lesson Plan
  • Recording: Exploring Invention and Intellectual Property with Rory Cooper's Adaptive Technology Lesson Plan
  • Trading Card Activity Challenge
  • Learning about the challenges of a disability
  • Who is Rory Cooper helping now?
  • Invent an assistive device

Born: December 30, 1963 in Omaha, Nebraska

Audrey Sherman created innovative, pressure-sensitive adhesives with unique properties that make them self-wetting, optically translucent, and noncorrosive. If you’ve had a surgical procedure or IV within the last 15 years, you’ve probably benefitted from Sherman's inventions, for which she’s received over 165 U.S. patents. She strongly encourages students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and math, and she passionately mentors many young women.

Related Links

• Journeys of Innovation series: Driving innovation 

Born: January 24, 1972 in Providence, Rhode Island

Dr. Ayanna Howard has pioneered advances in robotics and artificial intelligence (AI). Her work includes designing next-generation robots, from in-home assistive devices to ones that remotely monitor extreme environments. Notably, she has created inclusive robots designed to interact with and adapt to children with special needs. Dr. Howard is a champion for using AI in a responsible manner that includes diverse perspectives and needs. 

Born: August 19, 1978 in Guatemala City, Guatemala

Luis von Ahn is the inventor of an automated system that helps computers tell the difference between human users and machines. In addition to keeping passwords and bank accounts safe, his work uses human computation to help decode previously untranslated words. Over 13 million books have been digitized using von Ahn's system. He owns multiple U.S. patents and has licensed some of them to major internet companies.

Related link

• CSforALL Summit 2018 - Keynote: Dr. Luis von Ahn (video)

Lesson plans

• Trading card lesson plan
• Trading card activity challenge
• The secret code
• Think like a computer
• Learn a new language
• Invent a game with a purpose