Drum Brakes (1902) | Renault uses friction to slow down cars
Louis Renault (1877-1944) is a well known name in motoring and in 1902 the French engineer invent…
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Gun Silencer ( 1902 ) | Maxim silences his father's invention, the Maxim gun
Few other names are as synonymous with invention and innovation in the field of munitions and weap…
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Zoom Lens (1901) | Allen brings a sharper focus to photography
Although the first zoom lens was invented in 1901 by Clile C. Allen, its popularity in sales term…
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Air Conditioning ( 1902 ) | Carrier makes the world a much cooler place to live
The ancient Romans tried to keep their buildings cool during hot weather by pumping water from aqu…
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Electrical Vacuum Cleaner | Booth's machine makes light of housework
"Sucking out dust is impossible. It has been tried over and over without success... " Jo…
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Mercury Vapor Lamp ( 1901 ) | Hewitt pioneers fluorescent lighting
"Experience is a dim lamp, which only lights the one who bears it." Louis-Ferdinand Celi…
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Toy Electric Train Set ( 1901 ) | Cowen invents a timeless toy for young and old
As long as railways have existed, there have been model versions. Initially, the trains were just …
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Assembly Line (1901) | Olds invents a revolutionary system for industry
" Ransom Olds used the assembly line to jump his production from 425 cars in 1901 to 2,500 in…
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Washing Machine ( 1908 ) | Fisher minimizes the physical work of the household washday
" Technology has taken us from the rock, used to pound the clothes, to the modern rectangular…
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Food Mixer ( 1908 ) | Beach speeds up kitchen tasks with a lightweight motor
" [ The Hamilton Beach drink mixer ] became as much a tradition as hot dogs, apple pie, or ba…
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Aspirin (1899) | Hoffman invents one of the most popular painkillers of all time
The effects of aspirin like substances have been known since ancient times. Romans recorded the u…
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Heroin | Hoffmann develops a drug initially thought suitable to replace morphine
" Heroine is not hypnotic, and there is no danger of acquiring a habit. " Boston Medical…
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Self-aligning Ball Bearing ( 1907 ) Wingquist smooths mechanical movement
The principal of bearings has been around for as long as the Pyramids of Giza. Bearings enable eas…
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Distributor ( 1907 ) Kent develops an ignition system
American inventor Arthur Atwater Kent ( 1873-1949 ) had a fascination with electrical and mechanic…
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Magnetic Recording ( 1898 ) | Poulsen's invention achieves the first audio recording
Danish engineer Valdemar Poulsen ( 1869-1942 ) developed the first magnetic recording system. It wa…
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Powered Hearing Aid ( 1898 ) | Hutchinson's invention lends power to the hard of hearing
Although hearing aids have probably been around for centuries, they are first mentioned in Giambat…
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X-ray Photography | ( 1895 ) Rontgen discovers how to photograph inside the bodies of living things
"In recognition of the extraordinary services he has rendered by the discovery of the remarkab…
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Film Camera/Projector ( 1895 ) | The Lumiere brothers popularize movies
" If my films make even one more person feel miserable, I'll fell I've done my job. &…
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Diesel Engine ( 1895 ) | Diesel patents a fuel-economic engine
" The fact that fat oils from vegetable sources can be used may seem insignificant today... …
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Vacuum flask (1892) | Dewar invents in the forerunner to Thermos
" The mirrored dome of an upturned Dewar flask is a thing a beauty, which every chemist should…
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Fingerprinting (1892) | Vucetich Adds A Key Component To Forensics
"I've come to believe that each of us has a personal calling that is as unique as a finger…
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#1 Stone Tools | Early Humankind Ushers In The Age Of Invention
The very first human invention consisted of sharp ,flints ,found and used in their natural state by…
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