Who Invented the Umbrella? 4,000 Years of Staying Dry
No single person invented the umbrella. It is roughly 4,000 years old, and it began not as protection from rain...
Inventions & Ideas
Who Invented the Zipper? Judson, Sundback, and the “Hookless” Fastener
Who invented the zipper? No single person did. Chicago inventor Whitcomb Judson patented the first clasp-locker fastener in 1893, but...
How the Barcode Was Born: Drawing Lines in the Sand
How the barcode was born is a beach story. In 1948, graduate student Norman Joseph Woodland, stuck on how to...
Who Really Invented the Light Bulb? Edison vs. Swan and the Fight for the Glow
Ask who invented the light bulb and most people say Thomas Edison — but the honest answer is that no...
The Origin of the Escalator: From a Coney Island Ride to Every Shopping Mall
The origin of the escalator lies in 1890s America. Jesse Reno patented a moving inclined belt in 1892 and showed...
Who Invented the Post-it Note? The Glue That Failed Its Way to Fame
The Post-it Note was invented by two 3M scientists, Spencer Silver and Art Fry, working twelve years apart. Silver created...
