- 1310
| May 20 | Shoes were made for both right & left feet. | Ref: 5 |
- 1452
| Sep 30 | First section of Guttenberg Bible, first book printed from movable type, published in Germany. | Ref: 5 |
- 1456
| Aug 24 | (date estimated) In Mainz, Germany, volume two of the famed Gutenberg Bible was bound, completing a two-year publishing project, and making it the first full-length book to be printed using movable type. | Ref: 5 |
- 1487
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- 1498
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- 1593
| Dec 15 | State of Holland grants patent on windmill with crankshaft. | Ref: 5 |
- 1621
| Dec 03 | Galileo perfects the telescope. | Ref: 5 |
- 1630
| Jan 13 | Patent to Plymouth Colony issued. | Ref: 5 |
- 1646
| Mar 06 | Joseph Jenkes, Massachusetts, receives first colonial machine patent. | Ref: 5 |
- 1656
| Dec 14 | Artificial pearls first manufactured by M Jacquin in Paris made of gypsum pellets covered with fish scales. | Ref: 5 |
- 1684
| Apr 25 | Patent granted for the thimble. | Ref: 5 |
- 1714
| Jan 07 | The typewriter is patented by Englishman Henry Mill (built years later). | Ref: 5 |
- 1715
| May 04 | A French manufacturer debuts first folding umbrella (Paris France). | Ref: 5 |
- 1718
| May 15 | James Puckle, a London lawyer, patents world's first machine gun. | Ref: 5 |
- 1741
| Dec 25 | Astronomer Anders Celcius introduces Centigrade temperature scale. | Ref: 5 |
- 1752
| May 10 | Benjamin Franklins first tests the lightning rod. | Ref: 5 |
- 1753
| Feb 17 | Charles Morrison, a surgeon of Greenstok, UK, in a letter to Scot's Magazine proposes the use of an electric telegraph. | |
- 1766
| Apr 08 | First fire escape patented, wicker basket on a pulley & chain. | Ref: 5 |
- 1769
| Dec 11 | Venetian blinds patented in England by Edward Beran. | Ref: 10 |
- 1770
| Apr 15 | Joseph Priestley, an English chemist, discovers that India gum could be used to rub out lead pencil marks. The use of rubber (gum) replaces bread as a common eraser. | |
- 1772
| Apr 30 | John Clais patents first scale. | Ref: 5 |
- 1774
| Feb 10 | Andrew Becker demonstrates diving suit. | Ref: 5 |
- 1783
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- 1785
| May 09 | Joseph Bramah receives British patent for beer pump handles. | Ref: 5 |
| May 23 | Benjamin Franklin announces his invention of bifocals. | Ref: 2 |
- 1787
| Aug 22 | Inventor John Fitch demonstrates his steamboat on the Delaware River to delegates of the Continental Congress. | Ref: 5 |
- 1788
| Feb 01 | First US steamboat patent issued, by Georgia to Isaac Briggs and William Longstreet. | Ref: 5 |
- 1790
| Jan 30 | Lifeboat first tested at sea, by Mr Greathead, the inventor. | Ref: 5 |
| Mar 27 | The shoelace is invented. | Ref: 5 |
| Jul 17 | Sixty years before Singer in America, Thomas Saint of London patents the first sewing machine. | Ref: 10 |
| Jul 30 | The first US patent was issued to Samuel Hopkins of VT. Mr. Hopkins did not get Patent #1 as thousands of patents were issued before someone came up with the bright idea to number them. The inventor patented a process for making potash and pearl ashes. | Ref: 4 |
| Jul 31 | The first U.S. patent was issued to Samuel Hopkins of Vermont. Mr. Hopkins did not get Patent #1 as thousands of patents were issued before someone came up with the bright idea to number them. The inventor patented a process for making potash and pearl ashes. | Ref: 4 |
- 1791
| Mar 10 | John Stone, Concord MA, patents a pile driver. | Ref: 5 |
| Mar 11 | Samuel Mulliken of Philadelphia, PA became the first person to receive more than one patent from the U.S. Patent Office. Four patents were issued for his machines: (1) to thresh corn and grain, (2) to break and swingle hemp, (3) to cut polished marble, and (4) to raise the nap on cloths. | Ref: 4 |
| Aug 02 | Samuel Briggs and his son, Samuel Briggs, Jr., became the first father-son pair to receive a joint patent -- for their nail-making machine. | Ref: 4 |
| Aug 26 | John Fitch is granted a US patent for his working steamboat | Ref: 5 |
- 1792
| May 12 | Toilet that flushes itself at regular intervals is patented. | Ref: 5 |
- 1793
| Feb 01 | Ralph Hodgson of Lansingburg, NY patented one of the world’s greatest inventions: oiled silk. | Ref: 4 |
| Mar 13 | Eli Whitney patents the cotton gin. | Ref: 2 |
| Jun 11 | The first patent for a stove was issued -- to Robert Haeterick. | Ref: 4 |
| Jun 20 | Eli Whitney applies for a cotton gin patent. | Ref: 5 |
| Oct 28 | Eli Whitney applies for a patent on the cotton gin, a machine which cleans the tight-clinging seeds from short-staple cotton easily and effectively--a job which was previously done by hand. | Ref: 2 |
- 1794
| Feb 14 | The first US textile machinery patent is granted, to James Davenport, Philadelphia PA. | Ref: 5 |
| Mar 14 | Eli Whitney patents his cotton gin, making it possible to clean 50 pounds of cotton a day, compared to a pound a day before Whitney’s invention. | Ref: 4 |
| Mar 23 | Josiah Pierson patents a "cold-header" (rivet) machine. | Ref: 5 |
| Mar 28 | Nathan Briggs gets the patent for the washing machine. | Ref: 62 |
- 1796
| Apr 30 | Samuel Lee Jr. of Conn. patents the pill-Lee's New London Bilious Pills. | Ref: 10 |
| May 27 | James S McLean, of New Jersey, patents his piano. | Ref: 5 |
- 1797
| Jun 24 | Charles Newbold patents the cast iron plow | |
| Jun 26 | Charles Newbold patents first cast-iron plow. He can't sell it to farmers, though, they fear effects of iron on soil!. | Ref: 5 |
| Nov 17 | First clock patent in America granted to Eli Terry of CT. for the equation clock. | Ref: 10 |
- 1798
| Nov 10 | Lithographic process invented by Alois Senefelder. | Ref: 10 |
| Dec 14 | David Wilkinson of Rhode Island patented the nut and bolt machine, and the screw, too! | Ref: 4 |
- 1799
| Jan 25 | First US patent for a seeding machine, Eliakim Spooner, Vermont. | Ref: 5 |
| Apr 12 | Phineas Pratt patented the comb cutting machine -- a “machine for making combs.” | Ref: 4 |
- 1800
| Mar 20 | Alessandro Volta publishes a description of the first battery. | |
- 1802
| Feb 08 | Simon Willard patents the banjo clock. | Ref: 4 |
- 1803
| Apr 11 | A twin-screw propeller steamboat was patented by John Stevens. The boat was 25 feet long and four feet wide. | Ref: 4 |
| May 17 | John Hawkins & Richard French patent the Reaping Machine. | Ref: 5 |
- 1807
| Jan 28 | London's Pall Mall is first street lit by gaslight. | Ref: 5 |
| Aug 17 | Fulton’s Folly, the Clermont (although it wasn’t named at the time), made its first journey. Robert Fulton’s steamboat traveled between Albany, New York and New York City, a 150-mile journey. The trip took 32 hours. (XDG, p 4A, 8/17/2000) | Ref: 83 |
| Sep 17 | Robert Fulton's "North River Steam Boat" began heading up NY's Hudson River on its successful round-trip to Albany. | Ref: 6 |
- 1808
| Feb 11 | Judge Jesse Fell experimented by burning anthracite coal to keep his house warm on this winter day in Wilkes-Barre, PA. He successfully showed how clean the coal burned and how cheaply it could be used as a heating fuel. As a result, that area of northeast Pennsylvania became an important coal mining area for generations. Those who settled in the area to work the coal mines were referred to as ‘coal crackers’. | Ref: 4 |
| Apr 30 | First practical typewriter finished by Italian Pellegrini Turri. | Ref: 5 |
| Jul 09 | The leather-splitting machine was patented by Samuel Parker of Billerica, MA. | Ref: 4 |
- 1809
| Feb 11 | Robert Fulton patents the steamboat. | Ref: 2 |
| Nov 22 | Peregrine Williamson of Baltimore patents a steel pen. | Ref: 5 |
- 1810
| Sep 01 | The first plow with interchangeable parts was patented by John J. Wood. | Ref: 4 |
- 1812
| Dec 04 | The power mower is patented by Peter Gaillard of Lancaster, PA. | Ref: 4 |
- 1813
| Mar 18 | David Melville of Newport, Rhode Island patents the gas streetlight. | Ref: 4 |
| Mar 19 | David Melville of Newport, Rhode Island patents the gas streetlight. | Ref: 4 |
| Apr 29 | A patent for rubber was given to J.F. Hummel of Philadelphia, PA. | Ref: 4 |
- 1814
| Nov 29 | The London times becomes first newspaper published with a steam powered press. | Ref: 62 |
- 1815
| Oct 31 | Sir Humphrey Davy of London patents miner's safety lamp. | Ref: 5 |
- 1816
| Jun 04 | The Washington, the first stately double-decker steamboat, was launched at Wheeling, WV. | Ref: 4 |
| Dec 13 | John Adamson of Boston, MA receives a patent for a dry dock. | Ref: 4 |
- 1818
| Feb 17 | Baron Karl von Drais de Sauerbrun patents "draisine" (early bicycle). | Ref: 5 |
- 1819
| Jun 26 | The bicycle was patented by W.K. Clarkson, Jr. of NY City. | Ref: 4 |
| Sep 05 | Thomas Blanchard of Middlebury, CT patented a machine called the lathe. Blanchard said it was invented for the manufacturing of gun stocks. His lathe did the work of 13 operators. | Ref: 4 |
| Sep 06 | Thomas Blanchard of Middlebury, CT patented a machine called the lathe. Blanchard said it was invented for the manufacturing of gun stocks. His lathe did the work of 13 operators. | Ref: 4 |
- 1821
| May 13 | Samuel Rust of NY City patents the first practical printing press built in the US | Ref: 4 |
| May 30 | James Boyd patents Rubber Fire Hose. | Ref: 5 |
- 1823
| Apr 22 | R J Tyers patents roller skates. | Ref: 5 |
- 1824
| Feb 04 | J W Goodrich introduces rubber galoshes to the public. | Ref: 5 |
| Jun 08 | Washing machine patented by Noah Cushing of Quebec. | Ref: 5 |
- 1826
| Apr 01 | Samuel Morey of Oxford, New Hampshire patents the internal combustion engine. | Ref: 4 |
| Nov 27 | The friction match is invented in England | Ref: 62 |
- 1827
| Feb 25 | The 1st US electric printing press is patented by Thomas Davenport. | Ref: 5 |
| Apr 07 | English chemist John Walker invents wooden matches. | Ref: 5 |
- 1828
| Aug 29 | Robert Turner of Ward, MA receives a patent for his self-regulating wagon brake. | Ref: 4 |
- 1829
| Jul 23 | William Austin Burt of Mount Vernon, Mich., received a patent for his typographer, a forerunner of the typewriter. | Ref: 70 |
- 1830
| May 18 | Edwin Budding of England signs an agreement for manufacture of his invention, the lawn mower. | Ref: 5 |
| May 20 | H.D. Hyde of Reading, PA patented the fountain pen. | Ref: 4 |
- 1831
| Feb 12 | Boston inventor J.W. Goodrich invents rubber galoshes. | Ref: 10 |
| Aug 25 | The ‘bed spring' patented by Josiah French of Ware, Mass. | Ref: 10 |
| Aug 29 | Michael Farraday demonstrates eletromagnetic induction; electricity can be converted into motion. | Ref: 10 |
- 1832
| Jun 22 | J.I. Howe patented the pin machine, better known as a pinmaker. | Ref: 4 |
- 1833
| Apr 12 | Charles Gaylor patents the fireproof safe in New York City. The safes are widely used to protect everything from priceless art to sensitive computer software. Some safes can burn at 1,700 degrees Fahrenheit for an hour and the contents will still be as cool as a cucumber. Other units can sustain heat up to 400-500 degrees for about the same time without damaging the valuable contents within. | Ref: 4 |
| Apr 24 | Patent granted for first soda fountain to Jacob Evert & George Dulty. | Ref: 5 |
| May 06 | John Deere makes first steel plow. | Ref: 5 |
- 1834
| Jun 14 | Sandpaper patented by Isaac Fischer Jr, Springfield, VT. | Ref: 5 |
| Jun 14 | Hardhat diving suit patented by Leonard Norcross, Dixfield, Maine. | Ref: 5 |
| Jun 21 | Cyrus McCormick patents the first practical reaper for farming. | Ref: 4 |
| Aug 14 | Jacob Perkins receives British patent on ice-making machine. | Ref: 10 |
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| Dec 23 | Joseph Aloysius Hansom patented his Patent Safety Cab on this day. The 2-wheeled, horse-driven vehicle with the driver seated above and behind the passengers (he talked with the them through a trap door) became known as the hansom cab. Hansom was also a well-known architect. The Englishman designed the Birmingham Town Hall, Plymouth Cathedral and many other churches, convents, schools and mansions. And it is a good thing he had his architectural business to fall back on. He never made any money from those hansom cabs, even though you can still spot them on the streets of many cities around the world. | Ref: 4 |
- 1835
| Aug 17 | Solyman Merrick of Springfield, MA patents the wrench. | Ref: 4 |
| Nov 23 | The horseshoe manufacturing machine (60/minute) is patented by Henry Burden of Troy, New York. | Ref: 5 |
- 1836
| Feb 25 | Samuel Colt receives a patent for the Colt .45, the first revolving barrel multishot firearm. | Ref: 4 |
| Mar 05 | Samuel Colt manufactures the first pistol: a .34-caliber ‘Texas’ model. | Ref: 4 |
| Mar 23 | Coin Press invented by Franklin Beale. | Ref: 5 |
| Jul 13 | John Ruggles of Thomaston, Maine received patent #1 from the U.S. Patent Office under a new patent-numbering system. Before Ruggles, a U.S. senator from Maine and the author of the 1836 Patent Act which brought back the examination process, there had been 9,957 non-numbered patents issued. Ruggles received his patent for a traction wheel used in locomotive steam engines. | Ref: 39 |
| Aug 31 | Henry Blair of Glenross, Md. receives patent on cotton seed planter. | Ref: 10 |
| Oct 24 | Alonzo D. Phillips of Springfield, Massachusetts receives a patent for the phosphorous friction safety match. | Ref: 4 |
- 1837
| Feb 25 | First US electric printing press patented by Thomas Davenport. | Ref: 5 |
| Jun 17 | Charles Goodyear obtains his first rubber patent. | Ref: 5 |
| Aug 25 | Henry William Crawford patents process for producing galvanised iron. | Ref: 10 |
| Nov 25 | William Crompton of Taunton, MA patents the silk power loom. | Ref: 4 |
| Dec 29 | John Pitts and Hiram Abial of Winthrop, ME, receive a patent for their design of a steam-powered threshing machine. (XDG, p 4A, 12/29/2000) | Ref: 83 |
- 1838
| Jan 06 | Samuel Morse made first public demonstration of telegraph at the Speedwell Iron Works in Morristown, New Jersey. | Ref: 5 |
- 1839
| Jan 25 | First photographic negative published by W.H. Fox-Talbot. | Ref: 10 |
| Feb 24 | William S. Otis of Philadelphia, PA patents the steam shovel. | Ref: 4 |
| Aug 19 | At a meeting of the French Academy of Sciences in Paris, a new photographic process was unveiled by Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre. | Ref: 74 |
| Sep 09 | John Herschel takes the first glass plate photograph. | Ref: 5 |
- 1840
| May 08 | Alexander S. Wolcott gets first photographic patent for method of taking photos with plates. | Ref: 10 |
| Aug 25 | Joseph Gibbons of Albion, Michigan patents the seeding machine. | Ref: 4 |
- 1841
| Mar 27 | The first steam fire engine was tested in New York City. | Ref: 5 |
| May 22 | Henry Kennedy of Philadelphia PA receives a patent for the first reclining chair. | Ref: 4 |
| Aug 21 | John Hampton of New Orleans, LA, receives a patent for venetian blinds. | Ref: 4 |
| Sep 11 | Painter John Goffe Rand patents the squeezable tube (for artist's paints). | Ref: 10 |
| Nov 16 | Napoleon Guerin of New York City patents the cork life preserver (a jacket containing 18 to 20 quarts of grated cork). | Ref: 4 |
- 1842
| Feb 21 | First known sewing machine patented in US, John Greenough, Washington DC. | Ref: 5 |
| Oct 18 | The first telegraph cable was laid by Samuel Morse in New York Harbor between the Battery and Governor’s Island. | Ref: 3 |
- 1843
| Nov 21 | Vulcanization of rubber patented by Thomas Hancock. (Charles Goodyear next year?) | Ref: 10 |
| Dec 04 | Manila paper (made from sails, canvas & rope) patented, Massachusetts. | Ref: 5 |
- 1844
| Jan 06 | Patent for process to obtain iron from iron ore granted to S. Broadmeadow of N.J. | Ref: 10 |
| May 01 | Samuel Morse sends first telegraphic message. | Ref: 5 |
| May 24 | Samuel F.B. Morse uses his electric telegraph to send the message "What hath God wrought" on a completed 40 miles long line from Baltimore to Washington. The second message sent immediately after the first one was "Have you any news?" (XDG, p 4A, 5/24/2000) | Ref: 83 |
| May 25 | The first telegraphed news dispatch, sent from Washington, D.C., to Baltimore, appeared in the Baltimore "Patriot." | Ref: 70 |
| May 25 | Stuart Perry of New York City patented the gasoline engine on this day. | Ref: 4 |
| Jun 15 | Vulcanized rubber was patented by Charles Goodyear of NY City. Vulcanized rubber later was made into tires with Goodyear’s name on them. Charles never benefited from his invention and was poverty-stricken. | Ref: 4 |
- 1845
| Mar 17 | Rubber band patented by Stephen Perry of London. | Ref: 5 |
| Mar 26 | Patent awarded for adhesive medicated plaster, precusor of bandaid. | Ref: 2 |
| Mar 26 | Joseph Francis, New York NY, patents a corrugated sheet-iron lifeboat. | Ref: 2 |
| May 17 | Rubber band is patented. | Ref: 5 |
| Dec 10 | Patent received by London's Robert Thompson on pneumatic tires or tyres as he would have spelled it. | Ref: 10 |
- 1846
| Apr 18 | The telegraph ticker (“….- ….- -----”) was patented by R.E. House of New York City. What does the preceeding telegraph message say? “440”. | Ref: 4 |
| May 17 | Saxophone is patented by Antoine Joseph Sax. | Ref: 5 |
| Jun 10 | Robert Thomson obtains an English patent on a rubber tire. | Ref: 5 |
| Sep 10 | Elias Howe of Spencer, MA patents the lock stitch sewing machine. | Ref: 2 |
| Dec 05 | C F Schoenbein obtains patent for cellulose nitrate explosive. | Ref: 5 |
- 1847
| May 08 | Robert W. Thomson of England patented the rubber tire on this day. | Ref: 4 |
| May 12 | As you jog around the block today, think of Mormon pioneer William Clayton. It was on this day that he got tired of counting the revolutions of a rag tied to a spoke of a wagon wheel to figure out how many miles he had traveled. So, while he was crossing the plains in his covered wagon, he invented the odometer. | Ref: 4 |
| Jun 14 | Bunson invents a gas burner. Lab teachers celebrate worldwide. | Ref: 5 |
| Jun 27 | NY and Boston were linked by telegraph wires. | Ref: 5 |
| Jul 24 | Rotary-type printing press patented by Richard March Hoe, NYC. | Ref: 5 |
| Aug 07 | George Page of Washington D.C. granted patent on a plow to pulverize soil. | Ref: 10 |
- 1848
| Mar 27 | John Parker Paynard originates medicated adhesive plaster | Ref: 5 |
- 1849
| Jan 23 | Patent granted for an envelope-making machine. | Ref: 5 |
| Mar 27 | Joseph Couch patents steam-powered percussion rock drill. | Ref: 5 |
| Apr 10 | Walter Hunt of New York City patented the safety pin. Most of us still use the device which comes in a variety of sizes and is quite handy to have around. Mr. Hunt, however, didn’t think so. He thought the safety pin to be a temporary convenience and sold the patent for a total of $400. | Ref: 4 |
| Jun 12 | Gas mask patented by Lewis Haslett, Louisville, Ky. | Ref: 5 |
| Jul 31 | Benjamin Chambers obtains patent on breech-loading cannon. | Ref: 10 |
| Dec 28 | M Jolly-Bellin discovers dry-cleaning, he accidentally upset lamp containing turpentine & oil on his clothing & sees cleaning effect. | Ref: 5 |
- 1850
| Feb 05 | Adding machine employing depressible keys patented, New Paltz NY. | Ref: 5 |
| Jul 02 | The gas mask was patented on this day. It was an invention of B.J. Lane of Cambridge, MA. | Ref: 4 |
- 1851
| May 06 | Linus Yale, of Newport NY, patents Yale-lock. | Ref: 5 |
| Aug 12 | Isaac Singer of New York City patents the double-treadle sewing machine. (XDG, p. 4A, 8/12/2000) | Ref: 83 |
| Nov 11 | The telescope is patented by Alvan Clark of Cambridge, Massachusetts. | Ref: 4 |
| Nov 13 | The London-to-Paris telegraph begins operation. | Ref: 2 |
- 1852
| Feb 02 | The first British public men's toilet opens (Fleet St London). | Ref: 5 |
| Feb 11 | First British public female toilet opens (Bedford Street London). | Ref: 5 |
- 1853
| Jan 21 | The envelope folding machine is patented -- by Dr. Russell L. Hawes of Worcester, MA. | Ref: 4 |
| Mar 30 | Patent granted to Hyman Lipman for a pencil with an eraser. | Ref: 62 |
| Jun 21 | The envelope folding machine was patented by Dr. Russell L. Hawes of Worcester, MA. | Ref: 4 |
| Sep 20 | Elisha Graves Otis opens a small factory on the banks of the Hudson River in Yonkers, NY. In order to fulfill an unsolicited order for two freight elevators equipped with his newly invented automatic safety device, Otis abandoned plans to join the CA Gold Rush. Ref | |
- 1854
| Jan 13 | Anthony Faas (also spelled Foss) of Philadelphia, PA patents the accordion. | Ref: 4 |
| Mar 07 | Charles Miller of St. Louis received a patent for the sewing machine that stitches buttonholes. | Ref: 4 |
| Jul 25 | The paper collar was patented by Walter Hunt of NY City. The once-popular collar was very much a part of a clergyman’s wardrobe. | Ref: 4 |
| Aug 29 | Self-governing windmill patented (Daniel Halladay). | Ref: 5 |
| Dec 05 | Aaron Allen of Boston patents folding theater chair. | Ref: 5 |
| Dec 19 | Allen Wilson of Connecticut patents sewing machine to sew curving seams. | Ref: 5 |
| Dec 26 | Wood-pulp paper first exhibited, Buffalo. | Ref: 5 |
- 1855
| Mar 27 | Abraham Gesner patents kerosene. | Ref: 5 |
| Oct 09 | The sewing machine motor was patented by Isaac Singer (the Singer sewing machine guy) of NY. | Ref: 4 |
| Oct 09 | Joshua Stoddard of Worcester, Mass patents first the calliope. | Ref: 5 |
| Oct 17 | Henry Bessemer patents his process for making steel. | Ref: 5 |
- 1856
| Feb 19 | The tintype photographic process is patented by Professor Hamilton L. Smith of Gambier, OH. | Ref: 4 |
| Mar 25 | A E Burnside patents Burnside carbine. | Ref: 5 |
| Jun 02 | Cullen Whipple of Providence, RI patented the screw machine. | Ref: 4 |
- 1857
| Jan 06 | Patent for reducing zinc ore granted to Samuel Wetherill, Pennsylvania. | Ref: 5 |
| Mar 23 | Elisha Otis installs the first modern passenger elevator in a public building, at the corner of Broome Street and Broadway in New York City. | Ref: 2 |
| Apr 21 | Alexander Douglas patents the bustle. | Ref: 5 |
| May 19 | William F. Channing and Moses G. Farmer patented the electric fire alarm system in Boston, MA: the first city to adopt the system. | Ref: 4 |
| Jun 02 | James Gibbs, Va., patents chain-stitch single-thread sewing machine. | Ref: 5 |
| Sep 15 | Timothy Alder of NY City earned a patent for the typesetting machine. Newspaper and magazine publishers were very happy, as the machine made the production of these publications much faster and easier to accomplish ... making them more timely. We wonder what Timothy would have thought of the computer. | Ref: 4 |
| Sep 16 | Typesetting machine patent. | Ref: 5 |
- 1858
| Mar 02 | Frederick Cook, New Orleans, patents a cotton-bale metallic tie. | Ref: 5 |
| Mar 09 | Albert Potts of Philadelphia, PA receives a patent for a letter box. | Ref: 4 |
| Mar 23 | Eleazer A. Gardner of Philadelphia patents the cable street car, which runs on overhead cables. | Ref: 2 |
| Mar 30 | Hyman L. Lipman of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania patents the pencil (with eraser). | Ref: 4 |
| Jul 06 | The shoe manufacturing machine was patented by Lyman Blake of Abington, MA. | Ref: 4 |
| Aug 05 | Cyrus W Field completes first transatlantic telegraph cable. | Ref: 5 |
| Aug 21 | Sam Browne of the 2nd Punjab Cavalry invents the belt that would bear his name. | Ref: 10 |
| Aug 27 | The first cabled news dispatch was sent to, and published by, The NY Sun newspaper. The story was about China meeting the peace demands of England and France. | Ref: 4 |
| Sep 01 | 1st transatlantic cable fails after less than 1 month. | Ref: 5 |
| Oct 26 | The rotary motion-washing machine was patented by Hamilton E. Smith of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. | Ref: 4 |
- 1859
| Jul 12 | Paper bag manufacturing machine patented by William Goodale, Clinton MA. | Ref: 5 |
| Aug 09 | Nathan Ames of Saugus, MA patents the escalator. However, the first working escalator appeared in 1900. Manufactured by the Otis Elevator Company for the Paris Exposition, it was installed in a Philadelphia office building the following year. | Ref: 2 |
| Aug 09 | Marcus Norton of Troy, NY receives patent on postage-cancelling machine. | Ref: 10 |
| Sep 20 | The electric stove patented by inventor George B. Simpson of Washington, D.C. | Ref: 10 |
- 1860
| Jan 24 | French inventor Etienne Lenoir is issued a patent for the first successful internal-combustion engine. | Ref: 3 |
| Mar 27 | M L Byrn patents "covered gimlet screw with a 'T' handle" (corkscrew). | Ref: 5 |
- 1861
| Jan 15 | Steam elevator patented by Elisha Otis, forming base for his elevator company. | Ref: 5 |
| Jan 17 | Flush toilet (with separate water tank and a pull chain) patented by Mr Thomas Crapper (Honest!). | Ref: 5 |
| Feb 05 | Samuel Goodale of Cincinnati, OH patented the moving picture peep show machine. One put in a coin and turned a crank on the side of the ornately decorated box and voila, a flickering movie appeared! There still are peep shows today, but of an entirely different variety. They cost between $5.00 and $25.00 a peep, we’re told. | Ref: 4 |
| Feb 05 | Kinematoscope patented by Coleman Sellers, Philadelphia PA. | Ref: 5 |
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- 1862
| Apr 08 | Aerosol bottle patented by John Lynde of Philadelphia. | Ref: 5 |
| May 14 | Adolphe Nicole of Switzerland patented the chronograph -- a timepiece that allows for split-second timing of sporting events. | Ref: 4 |
| Nov 04 | The Gatling gun is patented by Richard J Gatling of Indianapolis. | Ref: 5 |
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- 1863
| Jan 04 | Four-wheeled roller skates are patented by James Plimpton of NY. | Ref: 5 |
| Jan 13 | Thomas Crapper pioneers one-piece pedestal flushing toilet | Ref: 5 |
| Jan 13 | Chenille manufacturing machine patented by William Canter, New York City NY. | Ref: 5 |
| Feb 09 | (or 10th) The fire extinguisher is patented by Alanson Crane of Virginia. | Ref: 2 |
| Apr 14 | William Bullock patents continuous-roll printing press. | Ref: 5 |
| Nov 23 | A patent is granted for a process of making color photographs. | Ref: 5 |
| Dec 19 | Linoleum patented by Frederick Walton in London. | Ref: 10 |
- 1864
| Mar 01 | A patent is issued for taking & projecting motion pictures to Louis Ducos du Hauron (he never did build such a machine, though). | Ref: 5 |
- 1865
| Apr 20 | Safety matches are first advertised. | Ref: 4 |
| Jul 08 | C.E. Barnes of Lowell, MA patented the machine gun. | Ref: 4 |
| Aug 10 | The billiard ball was patented by John Wesley Hyatt. Mr. Hyatt won $10,000 in a contest. He was the first person to come up with a substitute for the ivory ball (in use at the time). | Ref: 4 |
| Aug 22 | William Sheppard of New York City patents liquid soap. | Ref: 4 |
| Oct 10 | The billiard ball was patented by John Wesley Hyatt. Mr. Hyatt won $10,000 in a contest. He was the first person to come up with a substitute for the ivory ball (in use at the time). | Ref: 4 |
| Dec 26 | James H. Nason of Franklin, Mass., receives a patent for a coffee percolator. | Ref: 70 |
- 1866
| Jan 16 | Everett Barney patents the roller skate. | Ref: 4 |
| Mar 27 | Andrew Rankin patents the urinal. | Ref: 5 |
| Apr 03 | Rudolph Eickemeyer and G. Osterheld of Yonkers, New York patented a blocking and shaping machine for hats. | Ref: 4 |
| Jul 10 | Indelible pencil patented by Edson P Clark, Northampton, Mass. | Ref: 5 |
| Jul 27 | After 12 years and two failures, Cyrus W. Field succeeded in laying the first underwater telegraph cable between North America and Europe. | Ref: 70 |
| Jul 29 | The 2000 mile long transatlantic cable is completed by the Great Eastern, the largest ship afloat, under the direction of Cyrus W. Fields. | |
| Sep 14 | George K. Anderson of Memphis, TN patented the typewriter ribbon. For those of you who don’t remember typewriters, no less their ribbons, these ribbons were inked and had to be threaded through prongs and from reel to reel. Very messy and a big pain in the neck. | Ref: 4 |
| Oct 02 | Tin can with key opener patented by inventor J. Osterhoudt of New York. | Ref: 10 |
| Nov 20 | The rotary-crank bicycle was patented by Pierre Lallemont in Paris, France. The bike was known as the bone shaker. | Ref: 4 |
- 1867
| Feb 27 | Dr. William G. Bonwill of Philadelphia, PA invents the dental mallet. He got the idea while watching a telegraph key sounder operate in a Philadelphia hotel. | Ref: 4 |
| Apr 23 | William E. Lincoln of Providence patents first machine to show animated pictures, the Zoetrope. | Ref: 10 |
| Jul 14 | Dynamite first demonstrated in a quarry in Redhill, Surrey, England by inventor Alfred Nobel. | Ref: 10 |
| Jul 16 | Reinforced concrete patented by Frenchman Joseph Monier of Paris. | Ref: 10 |
| Nov 25 | Alfred Nobel invents dynamite. | Ref: 5 |
- 1868
| Jan 16 | Refrigerator car patented by William Davis, a fish dealer in Detroit. | Ref: 5 |
| Mar 05 | Stapler patented in England by C H Gould. | Ref: 5 |
| Jun 23 | Christopher Latham Sholes received a patent for an invention he called a "Type-Writer." | Ref: 70 |
| Jul 10 | George Westinghouse files for a patent for air brakes. | Ref: 7 |
| Jul 14 | Alvin J. Fellows of New Haven, CT patented the tape measure. | Ref: 4 |
| Oct 06 | Patent for nickel plating awarded to inventor William H. Remington of Boston. | Ref: 10 |
| Nov 23 | Louis Ducos du Hauron patents trichrome color photo process. | Ref: 5 |
- 1869
| Feb 02 | James Oliver invents the removable tempered steel plow blade. | Ref: 5 |
| Apr 06 | First plastic, Celluloid, patented. | Ref: 5 |
| Apr 13 | Steam power brake patented (George Westinghouse). | Ref: 5 |
| May 04 | The offshore oil drilling rig patented by Thomas F. Rowland of Greenpoint, N.Y. | Ref: 10 |
| Jun 01 | Thomas Edison of Boston, MA received a patent for his electric voting machine. Ol’ Tom would soon have a filing cabinet full of patents. | Ref: 4 |
| Jun 08 | Ives W. McGaffey of Chicago, IL received a US patent for the suction vacuum cleaner. “You can be sure, if it’s McGaffey!” | Ref: 4 |
| Jun 15 | Celluloid patented by John Wesley Hyatt, Albany, NY. | Ref: 5 |
| Aug 10 | O.B. Brown of Malden, MA patents the motion-picture projector. | Ref: 4 |
| Sep 10 | Baptist minister invents the rickshaw in Yokohama, Japan. | Ref: 5 |
- 1870
| Jan 25 | Gustavus Dows patents the ornamental soda fountain. The marble fountain featured a double stream draft arm and sold for $225! | Ref: 4 |
| May 31 | Edward J. de Smedt of New York City patents asphalt pavement. | Ref: 5 |
| Dec 31 | J D Schneiter patents rocket mail in France, (not done). | Ref: 5 |
- 1871
| Jan 17 | 1st cable car patented, by Andrew S Hallidie (begins service in 1873). | Ref: 5 |
| Jul 25 | Carrousel patented by Wilhelm Schneider, Davenport, IA. | Ref: 4 |
| Jul 25 | Seth Wheeler of Albany, NY patented perforated wrapping paper. | Ref: 5 |
| Sep 26 | Process for making cement patented by inventor David Oliver Saylor of Allentown, PA. | Ref: 10 |
| Nov 21 | The cigar lighter is patented by M.F. Gale of New York City. | Ref: 4 |
| Dec 19 | Corrugated paper is patented by Albert L. Jones of New York City. | Ref: 4 |
| Dec 19 | Samuel Clemens (MT!) gets patent for 'improvement in adjustable and detachable garment straps.' | Ref: 10 |
- 1872
| Jan 03 | First patent list issued by US Patent Office. | Ref: 5 |
| Feb 20 | Silas Noble and J.P. Cooley of Granville, MA patent the toothpick manufacturing machine. | Ref: 4 |
| Feb 20 | Luther Crowell received a patent for a machine for manufacturing paper bags. Patent #123,811 allowed for the bags to have two longitudinal inward folds. | Ref: 4 |
| Feb 20 | Hydraulic electric elevator patented by Cyrus Baldwin. | Ref: 5 |
| Mar 05 | George Westinghouse Jr patents triple air brake for trains. | Ref: 5 |
| Mar 26 | Thomas J Martin patents fire extinguisher | Ref: 2 |
| Apr 02 | G.B. Brayton of Boston, MA receives a patent for the gas-powered street car. | Ref: 4 |
| May 30 | Mahlon Loomis patents wireless telegraphy. | Ref: 5 |
| Jul 20 | Mahlon Loomis receives patent for wireless ... the radio is born. | Ref: 5 |
| Sep 17 | Phillip W. Pratt of Abington, MA patented an automatic sprinkler system for putting out fires. The system was operated by means of a valve to which cords and fuses were attached. The cords held the valve closed with a spring-loaded lever. In case of a fire, when the fuses ignited, the cords burned, and the valve opened, releasing a stream of water. | Ref: 4 |
- 1873
| Jan 14 | ‘Celluloid’ was registered as a trademark. It was the wonderful invention of John Hyatt in 1869. While waiting for a patent, he used the celluloid to wrap his Christmas presents. Then he got the idea that somebody might be able to make movies with the stuff. | Ref: 4 |
| May 13 | Ludwig M. Wolf of Avon, CT patented the sewing machine lampholder. | Ref: 4 |
| Sep 12 | The first practical typewriter was sold to customers. | Ref: 4 |
- 1874
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| Aug 11 | Harry S. Parmelee of New Haven, CT receives a patent for the sprinkler head. | Ref: 4 |
- 1875
| Apr 17 | "Snooker" (variation of pool) invented by Sir Neville Chamberlain. | Ref: 5 |
| Jul 13 | David Brown of Lebanon, New Jersey patented the first cash-carrier system. It was a basket moved by a wire, a pail and pulleys, the forerunner of the pneumatic tube ... like those we use at the drive-in-bank windows. | Ref: 4 |
| Nov 30 | A.J. Ehrichson of Akron, OH patented the oat-crushing machine. | Ref: 4 |
- 1876
| Feb 14 | A G Bell & Elisha Gray apply separately for telephone patents; Supreme Court eventually rules Bell rightful inventor. | Ref: 5 |
| Mar 07 | Alexander Graham Bell, of Salem, MA, patents the telephone (#174,465). | Ref: 4 |
| Mar 10 | The first successful voice transmission over Alexander Graham Bell's telephone took place in Boston as his assistant heard Bell say, "Mr. Watson, come here. I want you." | Ref: 70 |
| Apr 11 | The stenotype was patented by John C. Zachos of New York City. | Ref: 4 |
| May 07 | Alexander Graham Bell receives a patent for his telephone. | Ref: 6 |
| May 30 | The Truss patented by inventor Harvey A. Stephenson. | Ref: 10 |
| Aug 08 | Thomas A. Edison of Menlo Park, NJ patented the mimeograph machine. He described it as a method of preparing autographic stencils for printing. We don’t use mimeographs much these days, thanks to paper copiers and computer word processors. Mimeograph machines used to be cranked by hand and later models were electric. The mimeograph worked by first creating a spirit master which was placed on a large rotating drum. A strong smelling, purple ink would then print out on paper. We used to use these a lot in school back in the 1950s and 1960s. We remember the fumes, especially. | Ref: 4 |
| Sep 19 | Melville R. Bissell of Grand Rapids, MI patents the carpet sweeper. | Ref: 4 |
| Oct 09 | First 2-way telephone conversation, 1st over outdoor wires. | Ref: 5 |
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| Nov 07 | The cigarette manufacturing machine was patented by Albert H. Hook of NY City. | Ref: 4 |
| Dec 04 | The Stillson (pipe) wrench is patented by D.C. Stillson of Somerville, MA. | Ref: 4 |
| Dec 05 | Daniel Stillson (Massachusetts) patents first practical pipe wrench. | Ref: 5 |
- 1877
| Jan 16 | Color organ (for light shows) patented, by Bainbridge Bishop. | Ref: 5 |
| Feb 12 | Alexander Graham Bell publicly demonstrates the telephone (between Boston & Salem, MA). | Ref: 5 |
| Feb 12 | First news dispatch by telephone, between Boston & Salem MA. | Ref: 5 |
| Mar 13 | Chester Greenwood of Farmington ME patents the earmuff. | Ref: 4 |
| Apr 10 | ‘The catamaran' boat patented by inventor Nathanael Greene Herreshoff of Providence, RI. | Ref: 10 |
| Apr 15 | First telephone installed Boston-Somerville MA. | Ref: 5 |
| Apr 18 | Charles Cros wrote a paper on that described the process of recording and reproducing sound. In France, Mr. Cros is still regarded as the inventor of the phonograph, while in the U.S., Thomas Edison gets the credit. | Ref: 4 |
| May 17 | Edwin T. Holmes of Boston, MA. installed the first telephone switchboard burglar alarm. | Ref: 4 |
| Jul 18 | Inventor Thomas Edison records the human voice for the first time. | Ref: 2 |
| Aug 12 | Thomas A. Edison finished figuring out his first phonograph. Edison handed the model of his invention to John Kreusi with instructions on how to build it. Kreusi, a confident man, bet the inventor $2 and said that there was no way that the machine would ever work. He lost the bet. | Ref: 4 |
| Nov 20 | First recorded human speech ("Mary Had a Little Lamb," Edison). | Ref: 51 |
| Nov 21 | Thomas A. Edison told those gathered that he just invented the ‘talking machine’ (phonograph). | Ref: 4 |
| Nov 29 | Thomas Edison demonstrates his hand-cranked phonograph shouting "Mary had a little lamb". | Ref: 5 |
| Dec 06 | Thomas A. Edison makes the first sound recording when he recites "Mary had a Little Lamb" into his phonograph machine. | Ref: 2 |
| Dec 15 | Patent granted to Mr. Edison for the phonograph | Ref: 5 |
- 1878
| Jan 14 | W.H. Preece demonstrates Alexander Graham Bell's invention to Queen Victoria at Osborne House, Isle of Wight. | Ref: 17 |
| Jan 28 | The first telephone switchboard was installed -- in New Haven, Connecticut. The phone company that owned the switchboard had 21 subscribers. | Ref: 4 |
| Feb 19 | Thomas Alva Edison, famed inventor, patented a music player at his laboratory in Menlo Park, NJ. (This music device is the one we know as the phonograph.) Here’s the real skinny on the story: Edison paid his assistant $18 to make the device from a sketch Edison had drawn. Originally, Edison had set out to invent a telegraph repeater, but came up with the phonograph or, as he called it, the speaking machine. | Ref: 4 |
| Apr 15 | Harley Procter introduces Ivory Soap. | Ref: 5 |
| May 14 | The trademarked name Vaseline (for a brand of petroleum jelly) was registered by Robert A. Chesebrough. You have probably heard of his Chesebrough-Pond’s company. | Ref: 4 |
| Jun 15 | Edward Muggeridge makes a first attempt at motion pictures (using 12 cameras, each taking one picture to see if all 4 of a horse's hooves leave the groundduring a gallop. Leland Stanford bet they didn't. He lost) | Ref: 5 |
| Jul 09 | An improved corncob pipe patented by Henry Tibbe, Washington, Mo. | Ref: 5 |
| Oct 15 | Thomas A. Edison founds Edison Electric Light Co in New York City.
Thomas A. Edison founds Edison Electric Light Co. | Ref: 2 |
- 1879
| Feb 05 | Joseph Swan demonstrates light bulb using carbon glow. | Ref: 5 |
| Oct 21 | After 14 months of experimenting in Menlo Park, NJ, Thomas Alva Edison succeeded in producing a working prototype of the electric, incandescent lamp. It could burn for 13.5 hours. | Ref: 4 |
| Nov 04 | James & John Ritty patent first cash register, to combat stealing by bartenders in their Dayton, Ohio saloon. | Ref: 5 |
| Dec 03 | Edison demonstrates his electric light bulb. | Ref: 3 |
| Dec 05 | First automatic telephone switching system patented. | Ref: 5 |
| Dec 20 | Thomas Edison privately demonstrated his incandescent light at Menlo Park, N.J. | Ref: 70 |
| Dec 31 | Thomas Edison delighted an audience in Menlo Park, New Jersey. He gave his first public demonstration of incandescent lighting with the words, “Now it’s on. Now it’s off.” He did this for hours and hours. Well, not quite. But he did turn the lights on and off a few times just to show folks that he could do it. | Ref: 4 |
- 1880
| Jan 27 | Thomas Alva Edison of Menlo Park, NJ patents the electric incandescent lamp. | Ref: 4 |
| Sep 07 | Geo Ligowsky patents device to throw clay pigeons for trapshooters. | Ref: 5 |
| Oct 05 | The first ball-point pen is patented on this day by Alonzo T. Cross. | Ref: 2 |
| Nov 04 | The first cash register was patented by James and John Ritty of Dayton, Ohio. | Ref: 70 |
| Nov 27 | Thomas Edison patents electric incandescent lamp. | Ref: 5 |
- 1881
| Feb 08 | Frederic Ives of Ithaca, NY receives the first US patent for his method of reproducing a photograph on a printing plate. (XDG, p 4A, 2/8/2001) | Ref: 83 |
| Oct 04 | The player piano was invented by Edward Leveaux of Sussex, England, who received a patent for it this day. There were many player piano inventions going on throughout the world during this time. Leveaux happened to be the lucky chap who received the patent England was handing out. | Ref: 5 |
| Oct 11 | Roll film for cameras was patented by David Henderson Houston of Cambria, Wisconsin. | Ref: 4 |
- 1882
| Apr 03 | Wood block alarm invented, when alarm rang, it dropped 20 wood blocks. | Ref: 5 |
| Jun 06 | The first electric flatiron, or what we call the electric iron, was patented by H.W. Seely of NY City. We bet he probably had the nicest pressed shirts in the neighborhood. | Ref: 4 |
| Sep 04 | Thomas Edison displayed the first practical electrical lighting system. He successfully turned on the lights in a one square mile area of NY City (Pearl Street Station). | Ref: 4 |
| Dec 22 | Thomas Alva Edison's friend, Ed Johnson, turns on first electrically lighted Christmas tree. | Ref: 5 |
- 1883
| Feb 08 | Louis Waterman begins experiments that invent the fountain pen | Ref: 5 |
| Feb 17 | A Ashwell patents free-toilet in London. | Ref: 5 |
| Feb 27 | Oscar Hammerstein I of New York City (father of Oscar Hammerstein II, the lyricist w/Richard Rogers) patents the first practical cigar-rolling machine. | Ref: 4 |
| Sep 11 | The mail chute was patented by James Cutler. The device was first used in the Elwood Building in Rochester, NY. | Ref: 4 |
- 1884
| Jan 08 | Chrome tanning process for leather patented by Augustus Schultz. | Ref: 5 |
| Aug 26 | Linotype machine patented by Ottmar Mergenthaler of Baltimore. | Ref: 10 |
| Oct 14 | Transparent paper-strip photographic film is patented by George Eastman. | Ref: 2 |
| Nov 25 | Swiss-born scientist John B. Meyenberg of St. Louis, MO patented evaporated milk. | Ref: 4 |
| Dec 09 | Levant Richardson of Chicago, IL receives his patent for the ball-bearing roller skate. | Ref: 4 |
- 1885
| Mar 20 | John Matzeliger of Suriname patents shoe lacing machine. | Ref: 5 |
| Mar 26 | The first commercial moving-picture film was produced in Rochester, NY. Eastman Kodak, the film and camera maker still manufactures a huge variety of film from the same place. Eastman Kodak was ‘developed’ by George Eastman. What does the word Kodak stand for? Nothing. One of the most widely recognized trademarks in the world was named because it had a unique sound that started with the letter K, and could be pronounced and spelled in almost any language. Film did go by the designation of Eastman Film at one time, but the name Kodak has been promoted as a lasting imprint in all forms of photography since 1892. | Ref: 4 |
| Jun 27 | Chichester Bell and Charles S. Tainter applied for a patent for the gramophone. The patent was granted on May 4, 1886. | Ref: 4 |
- 1886
| Feb 23 | Charles M. Hall completes his invention of aluminum in Oberlin OH. He begins manufacturing pots and pans under the brand name "Wear-Ever". | Ref: 4 |
| Feb 24 | Thomas Edison and Mina Miller wed. Edison proposed by tapping a message on her hand in Morse code. (XDG, p 4A, 2/24/2001) | Ref: 83 |
| May 04 | The first practical phonograph, better known as the gramophone, was patented. | Ref: 4 |
| Sep 14 | George K. Anderson of Memphis, TN patented the typewriter ribbon. | Ref: 4 |
- 1887
| Mar 08 | The telescopic fishing rod, made of steel tubes inside one another, is patented by Everett Horton of Connecticut. | Ref: 4 |
| Mar 13 | Chester Greenwood of Maine receives patent for earmuffs. | Ref: 5 |
| May 02 | Hannibal W Goodwin patents celluloid photographic film. | Ref: 5 |
| Jun 07 | Monotype type-casting machine patented by Tolbert Lanston, Wash DC. | Ref: 5 |
| Aug 02 | Barbed wire was patented Chester A. Hodge of Beloit, WI. | Ref: 4 |
| Aug 30 | Thomas Edison received a patent for the Kinetoscope. | Ref: 73 |
| Aug 31 | Thomas A Edison patents Kinetoscope, (produces moving pictures). | Ref: 5 |
| Sep 01 | Emile Berliner filed for a patent for his invention of the lateral-cut, flat-disk gramophone. We know it better as the record player. Emile got the patent, but Thomas Edison got the notoriety for making it work and making music with his invention. | Ref: 4 |
| Sep 26 | Gramophone patented by Emile Berliner in Washington D.C. | Ref: 10 |
| Oct 11 | Adding machine patented by Eugene Felt, Chicago, who called it a ‘comptmeter.' | Ref: 10 |
- 1888
| Jan 03 | Marvin C. Stone of Washington, DC patents the wax drinking straw. | Ref: 4 |
| Jan 24 | The typewriter ribbon is patented by Jacob L. Wortman of Philadelphia, PA. | Ref: 4 |
| May 07 | George Eastman patents "Kodak box camera". | Ref: 5 |
| May 22 | Leroy Buffington patents a system to build skyscrapers. | Ref: 5 |
| Aug 07 | Theophilus Van Kannel of Philadelphia receives a patent for the revolving door. | Ref: 2 |
| Aug 14 | Oliver B. Shallenberger of Rochester, PA received a patent (#388,003) for the electric meter. | Ref: 4 |
| Aug 21 | William Burroughs of St. Louis, MO patented his adding machine. It was an invention that bore the name of Burrough’s office machine company for many years. | Ref: 4 |
| Sep 04 | The name Kodak is registered by George Eastman of Rochester, NY. He patented his roll-film camera: U.S. Patent #388,850. | Ref: 4 |
| Oct 30 | Ball point pen patented by inventor John J. Loud of Weymouth, Mass. | Ref: 5 |
| Oct 31 | Scottish inventor John Boyd Dunlop patents his pneumatic bicycle tyre. | Ref: 10 |
| Nov 20 | William Bundy patents the timecard clock. | Ref: 5 |
- 1889
| Mar 12 | Almon B. Stowger stepped up to the counter at the U.S. Patent Office to file for his invention, the automatic telephone system. The system was installed in Laporte, IN in 1892. It worked, but not well enough. Mr. Bell’s invention was deemed much more reliable. | Ref: 4 |
| Apr 01 | First dishwashing machine marketed (Chicago) | Ref: 5 |
| Apr 02 | Process for reducing aluminum by electrolysis patented by Charles Martin Hall. | Ref: 4 |
| Apr 06 | George Eastman places Kodak Camera on sale for first time. | Ref: 5 |
| May 30 | The brassiere is invented. | Ref: 5 |
| Aug 13 | William Gray of Hartford, CT patents the coin-operated telephone. | Ref: 4 |
| Aug 27 | Charles G. Conn of Elkhart, IN patents the metal clarinet. | Ref: 4 |
| Oct 06 | Thomas Edison shows his first motion picture. | Ref: 5 |
| Oct 10 | O.B. Brown patented a "projecting device" combining a magic lantern and a phenakistiscope. The first true movie projector. | Ref: 73 |
| Dec 24 | Daniel Stover & William Hance of Freeport IL patent bicycle with back pedal brake. | Ref: 5 |
- 1890
| Jan 07 | W B Purvis patents the fountain pen. | Ref: 5 |
- 1891
| Apr 01 | London-Paris telephone connection opens. | Ref: 5 |
| Jul 07 | A patent is granted for the travelers cheque. | Ref: 5 |
| Jul 14 | John T. Smith of Brooklyn N.Y. receives patent on manufacturing corkboard. | Ref: 10 |
| Aug 24 | Thomas Edison applies for a movie camera patent. The most important element in making a movie... the film ... was patented six years later. | Ref: 4 |
| Oct 27 | D. B. Downing, inventor, is awarded a patent for the street letter (mail) box.
D. B. Downing, inventor, is awarded a patent for the street letter (mail) box. | Ref: 2 |
| Dec 29 | Edison patents "transmission of signals electrically" (radio). | Ref: 5 |
- 1892
| Feb 02 | Bottle cap with cork seal patented by William Painter (Baltimore, MD). | Ref: 5 |
| Mar 15 | New York State unveils the new automatic ballot voting machine. | Ref: 2 |
| Mar 15 | The escalator is patented by inventor Jesse W Reno (New York NY) | Ref: 5 |
| Apr 12 | George C Blickensderfer patents portable typewriter. | Ref: 5 |
| May 19 | Charles Brady King invents pneumatic hammer. | Ref: 5 |
| May 20 | George Sampson patents clothes dryer. | Ref: 5 |
| May 22 | Dr Washington Sheffield invents toothpaste tube. | Ref: 5 |
| Jun 07 | J.F. Palmer of Chicago, IL patented the cord bicycle tire. Not quite a steel-belted radial for bikes, but a lot better than what had been called a tire, to be sure. | Ref: 4 |
| Jul 05 | Andrew Beard is issued a patent for the rotary engine. | Ref: 2 |
| Aug 09 | Thomas Alva Edison gets patent on telegraph enabling 2 operators to work simultaneously. | Ref: 10 |
| Aug 23 | John H. Stedman of Rochester, NY patents the printed streetcar transfer. | Ref: 4 |
| Sep 27 | ‘Book matches' patented by Joshua Pusey of Lima, PA. | Ref: 10 |
| Nov 03 | The first successful automatic telephone system is introduced in Laporte, IN. Almond Strowger, the inventor, came up with the idea because the non-automatic system made it possible for his customers calls to be intercepted by his competitor. Strowger ran a funeral parlor. | Ref: 4 |
| Dec 20 | Alexander Brown and George Stillman of Syracuse, New York, patent an inflatable automobile tire. | Ref: 3 |
- 1893
| Feb 01 | Thomas Edison and his engineer W. K. Dickson build the first movie studio in New Jersey. It was covered with black tar paper and nicknamed"The Black Mariah" because that was the nickname of police paddy wagons that it resembled. It's debateable how much of the inventing effort was more Dickson than Edison. Edison was only marginally interested in the movie company, at the time he was more concerned with how to extract iron ore from rocks using magnets. Dickson worked himself into the hospital to make the studio work, and later in disgust started experimenting on his own. When Edison found out he fired him and considered him a traitor thereafter. | Ref: 73 |
| Feb 02 | The Edison Studio of West Orange, NJ made history. The motion picture studio, named and operated by Thomas Edison, filmed the first motion picture close-up. It was a doozy ... a shot of comedian Fred Ott sneezing. | Ref: 4 |
| Feb 07 | Elisha Gray of Highland Park, IL patented a machine called the telautograph. It automatically signed autographs to documents, freeing up those who would be autographing these things so that they could take care of other matters. | Ref: 4 |
| Feb 28 | Edward Acheson, Monongahela PA, patents an abrasive he names "carborundum". | Ref: 5 |
| May 16 | Visible typewriter patented;machine allows user to see words as they enter page. | Ref: 10 |
| Jun 21 | First Ferris wheel premieres (Chicago's Columbian Exposition). | Ref: 5 |
| Aug 29 | The Zipper, also known as the slide fastener, patented by Whitcomb Judson of Chicago. | Ref: 10 |
| Oct 03 | The motor-driven vacuum cleaner is patented by J.S. Thurman of St. Louis, MO. | Ref: 4 |
- 1894
| Jan 07 | W.K. Dickson receives a patent for motion picture film. A demonstration included a 47-frame film (about 2 seconds) that showed comedian Fred Ott filmed sneezing. | Ref: 4 |
| Jan 30 | C.B. King of Detroit, MI patents the pneumatic hammer. | Ref: 4 |
| Mar 13 | J L Johnstone of England invents horse racing starting gate. | Ref: 5 |
| Apr 14 | The kinetoscope was demonstrated by its inventor, Thomas Alva Edison, at 1155 Broadway, New York City. A viewer that held 50 feet of film -- about 13 seconds worth -- showed images of Annie Oakley and Buffalo Bill. The demonstration was actually called the first peep show, as one had to peep into the device to see what was on the film. Movies were not projected on a screen at that time. | Ref: 4 |
| Oct 30 | Daniel M. Cooper of Rochester, New York patents the time clock. | Ref: 4 |
- 1895
| Feb 13 | Brothers Louis Jean and Auguste Lumiere receive a French patent on the movie projector. | Ref: 17 |
| Feb 26 | Michael Owens of Toledo OH patents a glass-blowing machine. | Ref: 5 |
| Apr 21 | Woodville Latham demonstrated the first use of a moving picture projected on a screen in New York City. | Ref: 4 |
| May 27 | British inventor Birt Acres patents film camera/projector. | Ref: 5 |
| Nov 05 | George Seldon receives a patent for the automobile. Four years later, George sold the rights for $200,000. | Ref: 4 |
| Nov 19 | Frederick E. Blaisdell of Philadelphia, PA patented what he called the paper pencil -- a paper-wrapped pencil with a string for revealing more lead, like those china markers you buy these days. (Thanks to David Cullen for help on this one.) | Ref: 4 |
| Dec 17 | George Brownell patents a machine to make paper twine (Massachusetts). | Ref: 5 |
- 1896
| Mar 31 | Whitcomb Judson, Chicago IL, patents a hookless fastening (zipper) | Ref: 5 |
| Apr 28 | The Addressograph was patented by J.S. Duncan of Sioux City, IA. | Ref: 4 |
| Jun 02 | Guglielmo Marconi receives U.S. patent on radio 10 years after he makes first broadcast in Italy. | Ref: 10 |
| Aug 11 | Harvey Hubbell of Bridgeport, CT receives a patent for the pull-chain, electric-light socket. | Ref: 4 |
| Aug 20 | The dial telephone is patented. | Ref: 5 |
| Dec 12 | Marconi gives first public demonstration of radio at Toynbee Hall, London. | Ref: 10 |
- 1897
| May 14 | Guglielmo Marconi sends first communication by wireless telegraph. | Ref: 2 |
| Jun 12 | Swiss Army Knife patented by Karl Elsener, son of a Swiss hatmaker. | Ref: 10 |
| Nov 23 | Pencil sharpener is patented by J L Love. | Ref: 26 |
| Dec 16 | First submarine with an internal combustion engine demonstrated. | Ref: 5 |
- 1898
| Feb 08 | John Ames Sherman patents 1st envelope folding & gumming machine (Massachusetts). | Ref: 5 |
| Mar 17 | First practical submarine 1st submerges, by Holland Torpedo Boat Co. of New York NY (for 1 hour 40 minutes). | Ref: 5 |
| Jul 13 | Guglielmo Marconi patents the radio. | Ref: 5 |
| Sep 13 | Reverend Hannibal Williston Goodwin of Newark, NJ patented celluloid photographic film. | Ref: 4 |
- 1899
| Jan 24 | The rubber heel is patented by Humphrey O'Sullivan. | Ref: 5 |
| Mar 27 | The Italian inventor G. Marconi achieves the first international radio transmission between England and France. | Ref: 2 |
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| Aug 08 | The first household refrigerating machine is patented by Albert Marshall of Brockton MA. | Ref: 2 |
| Nov 15 | S.S. St. Paul becomes the first ship to receive radio messages (transmitted from Isle of Wight). | Ref: 10 |
| Dec 12 | George F Grant of Boston, first black graduate of Harvard College, and a dentist) patents the wooden golf tee. | Ref: 5 |
- 1900
| May 22 | A. DeVilbiss, Jr. of Toledo, OH patented his pendulum-type computing scale (still used at a produce stand at the market). | Ref: 4 |
| May 22 | Edwin S. Votey of Detroit, MI patented his pianola: a pneumatic piano player. The device could be attached to any piano. | Ref: 4 |
| May 29 | Trademark "Escalator" registered by Otis Elevator Co. | Ref: 5 |
| Jul 10 | One of the most famous trademarks in the world, ‘His Master’s Voice’, was registered with the US Patent Office. The logo of the Victor Recording Company, and later, RCA Victor, shows the dog, Nipper, looking into the horn of a gramophone machine. | Ref: 4 |
| Dec 14 | Max Planck presents the quantum theory at the Physics Society in Berlin. | Ref: 2 |
- 1901
| Feb 05 | Loop-the-loop centrifugal RR (roller coaster) patented by Ed Prescot. | Ref: 5 |
| Feb 18 | H Cecil Booth patented a dust removing suction cleaner. | Ref: 5 |
| Mar 27 | Marconi transmits first Morse code message by radio from England to France. | Ref: 10 |
| Aug 30 | British patent for vacuum cleaner granted to Scotsman Hubert Cecil Booth. | Ref: 10 |
| Dec 02 | King Camp Gillette begins selling safety razor blades. | Ref: 5 |
| Dec 11 | Marconi sends first transatlantic radio signal, Cornwall to Newfoundland. | Ref: 5 |
| Dec 12 | Italian inventor Guglielmo Marconi receives the first transatlantic radio transmission in St. John's Newfoundland. | Ref: 2 |
- 1902
| Jan 01 | Nathan Stubblefield makes first public demonstration of radio, Pennsylvania. | Ref: 5 |
| Mar 20 | The first demonstration of mobile radio telephone is held on a ship in the Potomac River. The equipment was developed by Nathan Stubblefield, a telephone pioneer. | Ref: 3 |
| Mar 25 | Irving W. Colburn patents the sheet glass drawing machine. | Ref: 4 |
| May 28 | Thomas A. Edison announces his invention of the alkaline storage battery. | Ref: 10 |
| Jun 10 | Americus F. Callahan patents what he called the outlook or see-through envelope. The rest, of course, is accounts payable history… | Ref: 4 |
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| Dec 02 | The first working V-8 engine was patented in France by French engine designer Leon-Marie-Joseph-Clement Levavasseur. | Ref: 3 |
- 1903
| Mar 10 | Harry C. Gammeter of Cleveland, OH patents the multigraph duplicating machine. | Ref: 4 |
| Jun 07 | Professor Pierre Curie reveals the discovery of Polonium. | Ref: 2 |
| Nov 24 | The automatic self-starter was patented by Clyde J. Coleman of NY City. | Ref: 4 |
- 1904
| Jan 05 | Lizzie J. Magie’s "The Landlord’s Game", is patented. Lizzie's game was very similar to Monopoly, except she, a Quaker from Virginia, created it as a political comment to promote a single land-ownership tax. She shared it with other Quakers and proponents of the tax measure. Families copied the game, adding their own favorite street names and changing the rules as they pleased. The name of the game changed as the rules changed. | Ref: 4 |
| Aug 23 | Hard D. Weed of New York state patents the grip-tread tire chain for automobiles. | Ref: 4 |
| Nov 22 | Electric motor patented (M. Pfatischer). | Ref: 51 |
- 1905
| Jan 17 | Punchboards patented by Charles Brewer & C G Scannell, Chicago IL. | Ref: 5 |
| Mar 28 | Cornelius Ehret of Rosemont, Pennsylvania, patents the radio fax. | Ref: 3 |
| Nov 11 | Editor William Bok of Ladies’ Home Journal called the Morris chair, which sold for $31.00, “a hideous piece of furniture.” The (very popular) Morris chair was named after William Morris, whose Morris & Company produced home furnishings. The chair had an adjustable back and loose, removable cushions. Editor Bok probably wouldn’t have been so critical had he known that the Morris chair (and others of similar design) would evolve into the big, soft, cushy, recliners we enjoy today. | Ref: 4 |
- 1906
| Jan 13 | The first radio set is advertised (Telimco for $7.50 in Scientific American) claimed to receive signals up to one mile. | Ref: 5 |
| Aug 11 | In France, Eugene Lauste receives the first patent for a talking film. | Ref: 2 |
| Sep 08 | Robert Turner invents the automatic typewriter return carriage. | Ref: 2 |
| Oct 08 | Karl Nessler demonstrates first 'permanent wave' for hair, in London. | Ref: 5 |
| Oct 20 | Dr Lee DeForest demonstrates his radio tube. | Ref: 5 |
| Dec 14 | The first U1 submarine is brought into service in Germany. | Ref: 2 |
- 1907
| Jan 15 | 3-element vacuum tube patented by Dr Lee de Forest. | Ref: 5 |
- 1908
| Jan 12 | A wireless message is sent long-distance for the first time from the Eiffel Tower in Paris. | Ref: 2 |
| Feb 29 | Dutch scientists produce solid helium. | Ref: 5 |
| Mar 02 | Gabriel Lippman introduces the new three-dimensional color photography at the Academy of Sciences. | Ref: 2 |
| May 12 | Wireless Radio Broadcasting is patented by Nathan B Stubblefield. | Ref: 5 |
| Dec 29 | Otto Zachow and William Besserdich of Clintonville, Wisconsin, receive a patent for their four-wheel braking system, the prototype of all modern braking systems. | Ref: 3 |
- 1909
| Jul 13 | Patent received by Adon Hoffman for steam-operated clothes pressing machine. | Ref: 10 |
| Dec 07 | Leo Baekeland, Yonkers NY, patents first thermosetting plastic (Bakelite). | Ref: 5 |
- 1910
| Apr 02 | Karl Harris perfects the process for the artificial synthesis of rubber. | Ref: 2 |
| Aug 09 | A.J. Fisher of Chicago, IL receives a patent for the electric washing machine. | Ref: 4 |
| Aug 27 | Thomas Edison demonstrates the first "talking" pictures--using a phonograph--in his New Jersey laboratory. | Ref: 2 |
| Nov 08 | William H. Frost of Spokane, Washington patented the insect exterminator (bug zapper). | Ref: 4 |
| Nov 22 | Arthur F. Knight of Schenectady, NY patented the steel shaft. Not a big shaft, actually, but one to replace the less durable hickory wood shafts used to that time -- in golf clubs. | Ref: 4 |
| Dec 03 | Frenchman George Claude displays neon lighting for the first time at the Paris Motor Show. | Ref: 5 |
- 1911
| Mar 07 | Willis Farnworth of Petaluma, CA patents the coin-operated locker. | Ref: 4 |
| Apr 11 | J.P. Holland sells the US Navy its first modern submarine, the Holland IV, for $150,000. | Ref: 2 |
| Nov 09 | George Claude of Paris, France applies for a patent on neon advertising signs. | Ref: 4 |
- 1912
-
| May 17 | Gas (liquified petroleum gas) first used for cooking and heating on a farm in Waterford PA. | Ref: 10 |
| Sep 22 | Howard Armstrong invents the regenerator; amplification device makes radio transmissions possible. | Ref: 10 |
| Dec 24 | Irving Fisher patents archiving system with index cards. | Ref: 5 |
- 1913
| Jan 07 | William M Burton patents a process to "crack" petroleum. | Ref: 5 |
| Feb 04 | Louis Perlman of New York City receives a patent for his famous, demountable tire-carrying rims (wheels). | Ref: 4 |
| Apr 21 | Gideon Sundback of Sweden patents the zipper. | Ref: 5 |
| Apr 29 | Swedish engineer Gideon Sundback of Hoboken patents all-purpose zipper. | Ref: 5 |
| Aug 20 | First stainless steel cast in Sheffield, England. | Ref: 10 |
- 1914
| Apr 14 | Stacy G Carkhuff patents non-skid tire pattern. | Ref: 5 |
| Apr 28 | W H Carrier patents air conditioner. | Ref: 5 |
| Oct 28 | George Eastman announces the invention of the color photographic process. | Ref: 2 |
| Nov 01 | 19 year-old Mary Jacob invents soft bra. | Ref: 10 |
- 1915
| Jan 19 | George Claude of Paris, France patents the neon tube advertising sign. | Ref: 4 |
| Jan 25 | Alexander Graham Bell in New York spoke to his assistant in San Francisco, inaugurating the first transcontinental telephone service. | Ref: 4 |
| May 24 | Thomas Edison invents telescribe to record telephone conversations. | Ref: 5 |
| May 28 | John B Gruelle patents Raggedy Ann doll. | Ref: 5 |
| Sep 14 | Carl G. Muench of St. Paul, MN received a patent for Insulit, the first sound-absorbing material to be used in buildings. | Ref: 4 |
- 1917
| Jan 11 | Thomas Edison's electric vote recorder patented in 1869 first used in the Wisconsin Assembly. | Ref: 10 |
- 1919
| Dec 23 | Alice H Parker patents gas heating furnace. | Ref: 5 |
- 1920
| Jul 07 | A device known as the radio compass was used for the first time on a US Navy airplane near Norfolk, Virginia. | Ref: 4 |
- 1922
| Feb 15 | Marconi begins regular broadcasting transmissions from Essex. | Ref: 5 |
| Mar 28 | Bradley A. Fiske of Washington, D.C. patents a microfilm reading device. | Ref: 4 |
| Oct 03 | First facsimile photo send over city telephone lines, Washington, DC. | Ref: 5 |
| Oct 14 | First automated telephones-Pennsylvania exchange in NYC. | Ref: 5 |
- 1923
| Jan 19 | The French announce the invention of a new gun that has a firing range of 56 miles. | Ref: 2 |
| Feb 10 | Ink paste manufactured for first time by Standard Ink Company. | Ref: 5 |
| Mar 12 | Dr. Lee DeForest demonstrated his putting sound on motion picture film. One of the pioneers of radio in the early 1900s, DeForest came up with a snappy name for his invention; he called it: phonofilm. Today, we call it a soundtrack. | Ref: 4 |
| Mar 13 | A great improvement in radio receivers was advertised. The new models had a concealed speaker and eliminated the need for headphones, which were considered a nuisance because they were so heavy to wear and messed up hairdos. The new radios were also said to have a ‘foolproof’ design. | Ref: 4 |
| Mar 13 | Lee de Forest demonstrates his sound-on-film moving pictures (New York NY). | Ref: 5 |
| Apr 15 | Dr. Lee DeForest’s Phonofilm, the first sound-on-sound film, motion picture shown to a paying audience (by-invitation-only) are exhibited at the Rialto Theater in New York City. | Ref: 2 |
| Apr 24 | Colonel Jacob Schick patents Schick shavers. | Ref: 5 |
| Nov 06 | Col. Jacob Schick was issued a patent for the electric razor | Ref: 62 |
| Dec 31 | First transatlantic radio broadcast of a voice, Pittsburgh-Manchester. | Ref: 5 |
- 1924
| Jan 01 | Frank B. Cooney of Minneapolis, Minnesota was made very proud this day, when he received a patent for ink paste. | Ref: 4 |
| Apr 16 | First radio-transmission of wireless Matthäus Passion. | Ref: 5 |
| Jul 06 | First photo sent experimentally across Atlantic by radio, US-England. | Ref: 5 |
| Nov 30 | The first photo facsimile transmitted across Atlantic by radio. | Ref: 5 |
- 1925
| Feb 10 | The first waterless gas storage tank was placed in service -- in Michigan City, Indiana. | Ref: 4 |
| Jun 25 | First car telephone demonstrated in Germany. | Ref: 10 |
| Jun 29 | A patent for the frosted electric light bulb was filed by Marvin Pipkin. The frosting inside the light bulb created less glare because it diffused the light emitted, spreading it over a wider area, providing a much softer glow. | Ref: 4 |
| Oct 21 | The photoelectric cell, the little device that decides when to turn your flood lights on and off, was first demonstrated at the Electric Show in New York City. The light-sensitive cell was used to count objects as they interrupted a light beam. | Ref: 4 |
| Oct 27 | Fred Waller receives a patent for water skis. | Ref: 4 |
- 1926
| Mar 07 | The first successful trans-Atlantic radio-telephone conversation took place, between NY City and London. | Ref: 94 |
| Apr 20 | First check sent by radio facsimile transmission across the Atlantic. | Ref: 5 |
| May 19 | Thomas Edison spoke at a dinner for the National Electric Light Association in Atlantic City, NJ. | Ref: 4 |
- 1927
| Jan 07 | 31 calls were made on this, the first day of (commercial short wave) transatlantic telephone service. Service began between New York and London. | Ref: 4 |
| Apr 01 | First automatic record changer introduced by His Master's Voice. | Ref: 5 |
| May 03 | Francis E.J. Wilde of Meadowmere Park, NY patented the electric sign flasher. | Ref: 4 |
| Nov 22 | Carl Eliason of Sayner, Wisconsin, is granted the first patent for a snowmobile design. | Ref: 3 |
- 1928
| Jan 17 | The fully automatic, film-developing machine is patented by Anatol M. Josepho. | Ref: 4 |
| Apr 24 | Fathometer, which measures underwater depth, patented. | Ref: 5 |
| Jul 30 | George Eastman demonstrates first color movie. | Ref: 5 |
| Oct 16 | The frosted electric light bulb was patented by Marvin Pipkin. | Ref: 4 |
| Nov 06 | The first Motogram machine was installed -- on the NY Times Building. It showed election returns via an electric flasher. | Ref: 4 |
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- 1929
| Apr 11 | Loetafoon celluloid film system demonstrated in Amsterdam. | Ref: 5 |
| Jun 04 | George Eastman demonstrates first technicolor movie (Rochester NY). | Ref: 5 |
| Jun 27 | Scientists at Bell Laboratories in NY reveal a system for transmitting television pictures. | Ref: 2 |
| Jun 29 | First high-speed jet wind tunnel completed Langley Field Ca. | Ref: 5 |
| Dec 01 | BINGO is invented by Edwin S Lowe. | Ref: 5 |
- 1930
| Feb 25 | Check photographing device patented. | Ref: 5 |
| Apr 10 | The first synthetic rubber is produced. | Ref: 2 |
| May 27 | Richard Drew invents masking tape. | Ref: 5 |
| May 27 | Cellophane transparent tape patented by inventor Richard Gurley Drew; 3M to manufacture. | Ref: 10 |
| Jun 24 | First radar detection of planes, Anacostia DC. | Ref: 5 |
| Sep 21 | Johann Ostermeyer patents the flashbulb. | Ref: 5 |
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| Sep 23 | Flashbulbs are patented by Johannes Ostermeier of Athegnenber, Germany. | Ref: 4 |
- 1931
| Mar 18 | Schick, Inc., the razor company, displays the first electric shaver -- in Stamford, CT. | Ref: 4 |
| Jun 19 | First photoelectric cell installed commercially West Haven Ct. | Ref: 5 |
| Oct 07 | First infra-red photograph, Rochester, NY. | Ref: 5 |
| Nov 02 | The DuPont Company of Wilmington, DE announces the first synthetic rubber. It was known as DuPrene. | Ref: 4 |
| Nov 20 | The first commercial teletype service was introduced by American Telephone and Telegraph Company. | Ref: 4 |
| Dec 08 | Coaxial cable patented by inventors Lloyd Espenschied and Herman Affel of NY and NJ. | Ref: 5 |
| Dec 29 | Discovery of heavy water (deuterium) | Ref: 62 |
- 1932
| Feb 16 | The first fruit tree patent was issued to James E. Markham for a peach tree which ripens later than other varieties. | Ref: 4 |
| Feb 21 | William N. Goodwin of Newark, New Jersey patents the camera exposure meter. | Ref: 4 |
| Jun 10 | First demonstration of artificial lightning Pittsfield Mass. | Ref: 5 |
| Nov 22 | Pump patented that computes quantity & price delivered. | Ref: 5 |
| Nov 29 | Electric bridge table patented (L. Hammond). | Ref: 51 |
- 1933
| Mar 07 | The board game Monopoly is invented. | Ref: 2 |
| Mar 27 | Polythene discovered at ICI labs in Northwich Cheshire by Reginald Gibson and Eric William Fawcett. | Ref: 5 |
| May 30 | Patent on invisible glass installation. | Ref: 5 |
- 1934
| Jan 28 | Robert Royce’s famous invention was used for the first time in Woodstock, VT. Previously, snow skiers had no way to get to the top of the mountain conveniently. Remember the ski rope the next time you schuss the slopes and have to make it back to the top. | Ref: 4 |
| Mar 20 | Test of practical radar apparatus made by Rudolf Kuhnold in Kiel Germany. | Ref: 5 |
| May 23 | Wallace Carothers manufactures first nylon (polymeer 66). | Ref: 5 |
- 1935
| Jan 08 | Spectrophotometer patented, AC Hardy. | Ref: 5 |
| Feb 07 | Monopoly invented by Charles Darrow symbol Rich Uncle Pennybags, goes on sale. | Ref: 5 |
| Feb 26 | RADAR-Radio Detection & Ranging first demonstrated (Robert Watson-Watt). | Ref: 5 |
| Feb 28 | Nylon discovered by Dr Wallace H Carothers. | Ref: 5 |
| Apr 01 | First radio tube made of metal announced, Schenectady, NY | Ref: 5 |
| Apr 02 | Sir Watson-Watt patents RADAR | Ref: 5 |
| Apr 15 | Kodakchrome movie film invented. | Ref: 73 |
| Jun 04 | Gerald Brown and Edward Pollard of London patented an invention called invisible glass. | Ref: 4 |
| Dec 31 | Charles Darrow patents Monopoly. | Ref: 5 |
- 1936
| Jan 02 | First electron tube to enable night vision described, St Louis MO. | Ref: 5 |
| Feb 04 | Radium E first produced at UC Berkeley-the first synthetic radioactive substance | Ref: 5 |
| May 05 | Edward Ravenscroft of Glencoe, IL receives a patent for the screw-on bottle cap with the pour lip. | Ref: 4 |
| Dec 01 | EW Brundin & FF Lyon obtain patent on soilless culture of plants. | Ref: 5 |
- 1937
| Jan 12 | Plow for laying submarine cable patented. | Ref: 5 |
| Feb 16 | DuPont Corp patents nylon, developed by employee Wallace H Carothers. | Ref: 5 |
| Jun 04 | Inventor Sylvan Goldman introduces his shopping cart in his own Standard Supermarkets. | Ref: 10 |
- 1938
| Feb 24 | The first nylon bristle toothbrush was made in Arlington, NJ. It was the first time that nylon yarn had been used commercially. Two years later, nylon hosiery was introduced. | Ref: 4 |
| Apr 06 | Roy Plunkett scientist: discovers polytetrafluoroethylene, better known as Teflon. | Ref: 2 |
| Jun 14 | Chlorophyll (chloroform?) patented by Benjamin Grushkin of Philadelphia. | Ref: 5 |
| Jul 30 | George Eastman demonstrates his color motion picture process. | Ref: 2 |
| Oct 11 | Fiberglass patented under generic name "glass wool.” | Ref: 10 |
| Oct 22 | Chester Carlson invents the photocopier. He tries to sell the machine to IBM, RCA, Kodak and others, but they see no use for a gadget that makes nothing but copies. | Ref: 2 |
| Oct 27 | DuPont announces its new synthetic fiber will be called "nylon". | Ref: 5 |
| Dec 07 | W9XZY broadcasts facsimile of the St Louis Post-Dispatch by radio. | Ref: 5 |
| Dec 20 | Vladimir Kosma Zworykin of Wilkinsburg, PA patented the iconoscope television system. The system did catch on, but the name didn’t. | Ref: 4 |
| Dec 30 | Electronic television system is patented by VK Zworykin. | Ref: 5 |
| Dec 31 | Dr R N Harger's "drunkometer", first breath test, introduced in IN. | Ref: 5 |
- 1939
| Aug 22 | Aerosol can for dispensing liquids under pressure patented by inventor Julian Kahn. | Ref: 10 |
| Oct 24 | Women’s nylon stockings were sold publicly for the first time at Wilmington Dry Goods in Wilmington, DE. Why Wilmington? The Dupont Company, the inventor of nylon, is based there. | Ref: 4 |
- 1940
| Apr 14 | RCA demonstrates its new electron microscope in Philadelphia. | Ref: 5 |
| Apr 20 | RCA publicly demonstrated its new and powerful electron microscope in Philadelphia; inventor-Dr. Vladimir Zworykin | Ref: 70 |
| Jun 05 | First synthetic rubber tire exhibited Akron OH. | Ref: 5 |
- 1941
| Jan 09 | The first demonstration of small screen, color television was given by the Columbia Broadcasting System. The TV failed miserably, since RCA had pretty much wrapped up the patent process on color TV at the time. | Ref: 4 |
- 1942
| Jan 13 | Henry Ford patents a plastic-bodied automobile. The car was 30% lighter than ordinary cars. | Ref: 3 |
| Jul 28 | L.A. Thatcher of Stamford, CT received a patent by mail. Appropriately, Mr. Thatcher had patented a coin-operated mailbox. When money was inserted, a meter stamped the envelope. | Ref: 4 |
- 1944
| Jan 10 | First mobile electric power plant delivered, Philadelphia. | Ref: 5 |
| Jun 13 | The wire recorder was patented by Marvin Camras. Wire recorders were the precursor of much easier to use magnetic tape recorders. | Ref: 4 |
- 1945
| Oct 29 | The first commercially-made ballpoint pens went on sale -- at Gimbels Department Store in New York City, 57 years after it was patented. The pens sold for $12.50 and racked up a tidy profit of $500,000 in the first month! | Ref: 4 |
- 1946
| Aug 13 | Carl E. Weller of Easton, PA receives patent on the soldering gun. | Ref: 10 |
| Sep 11 | First mobile long-distance car-to-car telephone conversation. | Ref: 5 |
| Oct 09 | The first electric blanket went on sale -- for $39.50 -- in Petersburg, VA. | Ref: 4 |
| Nov 13 | The first artificial snow is produced -- by Vincent J. Schaefer on Mt. Greylock, Massachusetts. | Ref: 4 |
- 1947
| Feb 21 | Edwin Land demonstrates black and white photos that self develop in only 60 seconds | Ref: 4 |
| Apr 16 | Zoomar arrived. Zoomar is a lens demonstrated by NBC-TV in New York City. The Zoomar lens is a device that can feature close-up and long distance camera shots from a stationary camera. Eventually, the lens would be scaled down for use by regular photographers, not just for television. There are many different kinds of close-up/long distance lenses today, including the zoom lens named after the original Zoomar. | Ref: 4 |
| Dec 16 | At Bell Labs in Murray Hill NJ, John Bardeen and Walter Brattain invent the transistor. | Ref: 10 |
| Dec 23 | Bell Labs management is informed by John Bardeen, Walter Brattain and Whilliam Shockley have developed the first transistor. Ref | |
- 1948
| Jan 27 | Wire Recording Corporation of America announced the first magnetic tape recorder. The ‘Wireway’ machine with a built-in oscillator sold for $149.50. | Ref: 4 |
| Jan 31 | Magnetic tape recorder developed by Wireway. | Ref: 5 |
| Jun 18 | Columbia Records unveiled its new long-playing phonograph record. The new disc turned at 33 1/3 revolutions per minute, offering sound quality that was superior to 78 rpm records. | Ref: 70 |
| Jun 21 | Dr Peter Goldmark of CBS demonstrates "long playing record" Columbia commits to 33 1/3 rpm records, plans to phase out 78's | Ref: 5 |
| Jun 30 | John Bardeen, Walter Brattain, and William Shockley, all of Bell Labs, demonstrate their invention, the transistor, for the first time. | Ref: 2 |
| Sep 07 | First use of synthetic rubber in asphaltic concrete, Akron Oh. | Ref: 5 |
| Oct 16 | Xerox introduces its copier 10 years after it was invented. | Ref: 10 |
| Oct 21 | The first high-speed radio fax was sent. To demonstrate the speed of the line, capable of transmitting one million words per minute, RCA transmitted all 1047 pages of the novel "Gone with the Wind" from a radio station to the Library of Congress in two minutes and twenty-one seconds. | Ref: 3 |
| Nov 23 | Dr. Frank G. Back of NY City patented the Zoomar lens. The device was first used by NBC television in April of 1947. | Ref: 4 |
| Nov 27 | First tape recorder sold. | Ref: 5 |
| Nov 28 | Dr. Edwin Land's first Polaroid cameras go on sale in Boston. | Ref: 2 |
- 1949
| May 11 | First Polaroid camera sold $89.95 (NYC). | Ref: 5 |
| May 13 | The first gas turbine to pump natural gas was installed in Wilmar, AR. | Ref: 4 |
- 1950
-
| Mar 17 | Scientists at the University of CA at Berkeley announced they had created a new radioactive element #98, "californium." | Ref: 70 |
| Mar 30 | Phototransistor invention announced, Murray Hill NJ. | Ref: 5 |
| Sep 11 | First typesetting machine to dispense with metal type exhibited. | Ref: 5 |
| Sep 29 | First automatic telephone answering machine tested by Bell Labs. | Ref: 10 |
- 1951
| Jul 05 | Dr. William Shockley announced that he had invented the junction transistor in Murray Hill, New Jersey. | Ref: 4 |
| Dec 31 | First battery to convert radioactive energy to electrical announced. | Ref: 5 |
- 1952
| May 01 | Mr Potato Head, introduced. | Ref: 5 |
| Oct 03 | Engineers at Bing Crosby Enterprises in Los Angeles CA make first video recording on magnetic tape. | Ref: 5 |
- 1953
| Jan 04 | Tufted plastic carpeting was introduced by Barwick Mills. The new carpet was said to be mothproof and stain resistant. | Ref: 4 |
| Sep 01 | The Dupont Co. starts producing Teflon. | Ref: 10 |
| Oct 13 | An ultrasonic (sound with a frequency greater than 20,000 Hz) burglar alarm was patented by New Yorker Samuel Bagno. | Ref: 4 |
- 1954
| Jan 07 | The Duoscopic TV receiver was unveiled. The TV set allowed a person or group to watch two different shows at the same time. It was a primitive, picture-in-picture, split-screen that was tested in New York City and Chicago. The set was a product of DuMont Laboratories; which owned the DuMont Television Network. | Ref: 4 |
| Feb 26 | First typesetting machine (photo engraving) used, Quincy MA. | Ref: 5 |
| Mar 20 | The first newspaper vending machine used (Columbia PA). | Ref: 5 |
| Apr 25 | AT&T scientists, Gerald Pearson, Daryl Chapin and Calvin Fuller, demonstrate the solar battery, the first successful device to convert useful amounts of the sun's energy directly and efficiently into electricity. (Ref | |
| Oct 18 | The first mass produced transistor radio (a 4 transistor apparatus), designed by Texas Instruments, and built by Regency IDEA, is launched in USA. After initially sluggish sales, the device called TR1 and priced $49.95, becomes a bestseller. | |
- 1955
| Mar 04 | First radio facsimile transmission sent across the continent. | Ref: 5 |
| Dec 12 | First prototype of hovercraft patented by British engineer Christoper Cockerell. | Ref: 5 |
- 1956
| Apr 14 | Ampex Corporation of Redwood City, CA demonstrated the first commercial magnetic tape recorder for sound and picture. The videotape machine had a price tag of $75,000. These early Ampex units were too large to fit in a small room. That’s back when bigger was better. | Ref: 4 |
| Apr 16 | First solar powered radios go on sale. | Ref: 5 |
| Sep 24 | The first transatlantic telephone cable system begins operation. | Ref: 2 |
| Sep 25 | First transatlantic telephone cable goes into operation between Britain and U.S. | Ref: 5 |
- 1957
| Jan 03 | The Hamilton Watch Company was the first to introduce an electric watch; now a standard in the watch world. | Ref: 4 |
| Jan 13 | The Wham-O Company developed the first plastic Frisbee. The most popular theory as to how this flying disc came to be dates back to the 1920s when Yale students invented a game of catch by tossing around metal pie tins from the Frisbee Baking Company in nearby Bridgeport, Connecticut. They would frequently shout “Frisbieeeee” to warn passersby of the oncoming pie plate. Building inspector Fred Morrison puttered with and refined a plastic flying disc that he sold to WHAM-O (for $1 million) on this day in 1955. The disc was introduced to the consumer market in 1957 as the Pluto Platter (the name inspired by the U.S. obsession with UFOs). Wham-O changed the name to Frisbee in 1958, upon hearing the Yale pie-tin story. (Mattel now owns the rights to Frisbee, which has become an American icon.) | Ref: 4 |
| Feb 04 | Smith-Corona Manufacturing Inc. of New York began selling portable electric typewriters in Syracuse, NY. The first machine was a ‘portable’ of 19 pounds! Soon, other manufacturers offered similar models, made of lighter-weight plastics, with a lot less of the sophisticated workings inside. | Ref: 4 |
| Dec 12 | US announces manufacture of Borazon (harder than diamond). | Ref: 5 |
- 1958
| Jan 07 | The Flying V guitar, which is a favorite of rock musicians, was patented this day by the Gibson Guitar Company. | Ref: 4 |
| Mar 27 | CBS Laboratories announced a new stereophonic record that was playable on ordinary LP phonographs, meaning, monaural. In stereo, on the proper equipment, a new rich and fuller sound was heard. It eventually became a standard for record and equipment buyers. | Ref: 4 |
- 1959
| Feb 01 | Texas Instruments requests patent of IC (Integrated Circuit). | Ref: 5 |
| Feb 13 | The Barbie Doll is introduced. Over half a billion are sold in its first 30 years | Ref: 5 |
| Nov 17 | De Beers firm of South Africa announces synthetic diamond. | Ref: 5 |
- 1960
| Mar 22 | First patent for lasers, granted to Arthur Schawlow & Charles Townes. | Ref: 5 |
| Jul 12 | The first Etch-A-Sketch went on sale. Over 50 million units were sold during the next 25 years. It was the favorite toy of many moms because it was self-contained and so-o-o quiet. | Ref: 4 |
| Aug 30 | Japan Stationery Co. sells first felt-tipped pen | Ref: 62 |
- 1961
| Apr 25 | Robert Noyce granted a patent for the integrated circuit. | Ref: 5 |
| May 08 | First practical sea water conversion plant-Freeport TX | Ref: 2 |
- 1963
| Jun 24 | First demonstration of home video recorder, at BBC Studios, London. | Ref: 5 |
- 1965
| Apr 27 | RC Duncan patents "Pampers" disposable diaper. | Ref: 5 |
| Jun 07 | Sony Corporation unveiled its first consumer 1/2-inch format helical scan VTR (video tape recorder). It was priced under $3000 (and only in black & white, yet). 1969 - The rock group Blind Faith made its British debut at a free concert at London’s Hyde Park. Over 100,000 fans attended what was called “the most remarkable gathering of young people ever seen in England.” The group was composed of Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker, Stevie Winwood and Rick Grech. | Ref: 4 |
| Nov 27 | First ground station-to-aircraft radio communication via satellite. | Ref: 5 |
- 1975
| Mar 10 | Dog spectacles patented in England. | Ref: 5 |
- 1978
| Jun 27 | Paper Mate division of Gillette receives patent on pen with erasable ink-the Eraser Mate. | Ref: 10 |
- 1980
| Apr 06 | Post It Notes are introduced. | Ref: 5 |
- 1983
| Mar 02 | Compact Disc recordings developed by Phillips & Sony introduced. | Ref: 5 |
- 1987
| May 30 | North American Philips Company unveils compact disc video. | Ref: 5 |
- 1989
| Mar 23 | British scientist Martin Fleischman and University of Utah Chemist Stanley Pons claim they have discovered a way of causing fusion at room temperature | Ref: 5 |
- 1992
| Jan 07 | AT&T releases video-telephone ($1499). | Ref: 5 |
- 2003
| Aug 15 | Takara, a Japanese toy company, will begin its US marketing of "Bow-Lingual", a $120 device that claims to translate a dog's barks into English. (WSJ, p D1, 7/23/2001) | Ref: 33 |
- 2004
| Feb 03 | (date not given) Russian and American scientists say they have created a few atoms of two "super-heavy" elements, #113 and #115, which existed for split seconds. These elements may be abundantly generated by supernova explosions but do not exist naturally on earth. (USA Today, p 4D, 2/03/2004) | Ref: 13 |
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Inventions and Technology Chronology