From Mary Bellis,
Your Guide to Inventors.
FREE Newsletter. Sign Up Now!

Find out what famous event happened today in history concerning patents, trademarks, or copyrights. What famous inventor has the same birthday as you or what invention was created on that day.

<<< April - June >>>

May 1

1888 Patent #382,280 was granted to Nikola Tesla for the "electrical transmission of power".

May 2

1844 Elijah McCoy, the highly prolific African American inventor was born.
"Take me out to the ballgame" registered by Albert von Tilzer.

May 3

1831 Manning patented a mowing machine, however, the very first patent for a machine for mowing lawns was granted to Edwin Beard Budding.

May 4

1943 Patent for helicopter controls obtained by Igor Sikorsky. Sikorsky invented fixed winged and multi-engined aircraft, transoceanic flying boats and helicopters.

May 5

1809 Mary Kies was the first women to get a patent. It was for a process for "weaving straw with silk or thread".
Cinco de Mayo

May 6

1851 Ice-making machine patent received by John Gorrie.

May 7

1878 Fire Escape Ladder patented by Joseph Winters.

May 8

1942 "White Christmas" registered by Irving Berlin. This song is said to be the most valuable music copyright in the world!

May 9

1958 Mattel's Barbie doll was registered. The Barbie doll was invented in 1959 by Ruth Handler (co-founder of Mattel), whose own daughter was called Barbara

May 10

1752 Benjamin Franklin first tested his the lightning rod. Franklin invented the lightening rod and the iron furnace stove, bifocal glasses and the odometer.
1994 Tiny Toon Adventures registered by Warner Brothers Inc.

May 11

1926 Maxwell House Coffee Good to the last drop, was trademark registered.

May 12

1885 Ottmar Mergenthaler received a patent for a machine for producing printing bars

May 13

1958 VELCRO was trademark registered. Mother Nature could not have done it better herself.

May 14

1853 Gail Borden invented her process for condensed milk.
1897 "Stars and Stripes Forever" by John Phillip Sousa was registered.

May 15

1718 James Puckle, a London lawyer, patented the world's first machine gun.
1923 Listerine was trademark registered.

May 16

1922 "Canada Dry" Pale Ginger Ale was trademark registered

May 17

1839 Lorenzo Adkins patented a water wheel.

May 18

1827 Artist Rembrandt Peale registered a lithographic portrait of President George Washington, based on his famous oil painting.
1830 Edwin Budding of England signed a licensing agreement for the manufacture of his invention, the lawn mower.

May 19

1896 Edward Acheson was issued a patent for an electrical furnace used to produce one of the hardest industrial substances, carborundum.

May 20

1830 D. Hyde patented the fountain pen.
1851 Emile Berliner of Germany, the inventor of the gramaphone was born.
1958 Robert Baumann obtained a patent for a satellite structure.

May 21

1984 "The Natural" a movie based on the book by Bernard Malamud, was registered.

May 22

1819 The first bicycles called swift walkers were introduced to the United States in New York City.
1906 Orville and Wilbur Wright received a patent for a "Flying Machine" with a motor.

May 23

1930 Patent Act of 1930 permited patenting of certain plants.

May 24

1982 Increased penalties for trafficking in counterfeit labels for certain works and criminal infringement of these works are added to the Copyright Act in 1982.

May 25

1948 Andrew Moyer was granted a patent for a method of mass production of penicillin.

May 26

1857 Robert Mushet received a patent for methods of manufacturing steel.

May 27

1796 James McLean was issued a patent for a piano.

May 28

1742 The first indoor swimming pool opened in Goodman's Fields, London. Swimming as an organized activity goes back as far as 2500 B.C. in ancient Egypt.
1996 Theo and Wayne Hart received a patent for a ponytail hair clasp.

May 29

1826 Ebenezer Butterick the inventor of the tissue paper dress pattern was born.
1953 First episode of the "I Love Lucy" television series was registered.

May 30

1790 First Federal Copyright bill was enacted in 1790.
1821 James Boyd patented the rubber fire hose.

May 31

1892 Lea & Perrins Worchestershire Sauce became a registered trademark.