True American Pride - Real Things to Celebrate About This Nation (#13)

American Inventors and Inventions

“The American Dream is simple: it’s the unwavering belief that anybody – you, me, your friends, your neighbors, grandma Verna – can become exceedingly successful, and all it takes is the right amount of work, ingenuity, and determination.” ~ Mark Manson

Day 15 of Real Things American to Be Proud Of. Today I celebrate American inventiveness. From A to Z...airplane to zipper...Americans throughout history have shown themselves to be some of the most creative, persistent, and innovative discoverers and makers of new things that have improved life in this world: both in little and huge ways.

Americans have been so inventive that it’s almost impossible to find agreement on what have been the inventions/inventors who’ve had the greatest impact on every day life in the world. But few could argue with these candidates:

• The telephone: Invented by Alexander Graham Bell in 1876. The 1st phone call ever: “ Mr. Watson. Come here. I want you.” (Bell to his aide). Today it’s estimated that 4.3 billion people (54% of the world’s population) carry cell phone every day.

• The airplane: Wilbur and Orville Wright designed and flew the 1st powered plane on December 17, 1903. The basic design elements of the 1903 Wright Flyer have been incorporated in ALL successful aircraft since produced. 

• The light bulb: Thomas Alva Edison created the first commercially successful carbon filament bulb in 1879. This invention didn’t just light up the night, it actually changed sleep patterns for most of humankind! 

• Moving pictures:  The Kinetograph, an early motion picture camera, was first introduced by William Dickson in 1890. This began America’s reign as the Motion Picture Capital of the World and forever changed how the world tells and consumes stories. 

Did you know there is an "Inventors' Hall of Fame" in the United States? (based in Alexandria, VA). Very fun browsing through their website. Here’s a link to a short YouTube video tour of the Museum:

Take a Tour of the National Inventors Hall of Fame Museum

Finally, here's a random list of American inventors, followed by an equally random list of their inventions. How many of them can you match correctly? ANSWERS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST (don't skip ahead!)

THE INVENTORS: 1.Mary Anderson, 2.William Coolidge, 3.Arthur Fry, 4.Elias Howe, 5.Stephanie Kwolek, 6.Bradford Parkinson, 7.Ruth Wakefield.

THE INVENTIONS: A.Chocolate chip cookies, B.the zipper, C.GPS, D. Post-It notes, E.Kevlar, F.X-Ray, G.windshield wipers.

Here are the answers for those curious: 1.G 2.F 3. D 4. B 5. E 6. C 7. A