Famous Inventions

From airships and zeppelins to Slinkys and yo-yos, easily research the history of any famous invention with A-to-Z lists, timelines, and historical essays.

  • Granville T. Woods
    Biography of Granville T. Woods, American Inventor
  • Red and white striped drinking straws
    Biography of Marvin Stone, Inventor of Drinking Straws
  • Sir Charles Wheatstone
    Biography of Charles Wheatstone, British Inventor and Entrepreneur
  • John Heysham Gibbon Jr.
    Biography of John Heysham Gibbon Jr., Heart-Lung Machine Inventor
  • Orvile And Wilbur Wright
    Quotes of the Wright Brothers
  • Who invented WiFi, and what made it possible?
    Who Created Wi-Fi, the Wireless Internet Connection?
  • Photographic equipment, cameras, slides, lenses, rolls of film
    The History of Photography: Pinholes and Polaroids to Digital Images
  • Ruth Handler holds a Barbie doll, 1999.
    Biography of Ruth Handler, Inventor of Barbie Dolls
  • Spinning Jenny
    James Hargreaves and the Invention of the Spinning Jenny
  • Important Innovations and Inventions, Past and Present
  • Multiple Pinball Targets
    The History of Pinball
  • Thomas Newcomen's engine
    How Do Steam Engines Work?
  • Hanging clocks in sitting room
    The Development of Clocks and Watches Over Time
  • Young businessman using wireless headset while talking through smart phone at office
    Who Invented Bluetooth?
  • A section of blue denim jeans
    Fabrics - The History of Fabrics and Different Fibers
  • Hydrogen fuel cell
    Hydrogen Fuel Cells Innovation for the 21st Century
  • dyson dryer
    How the Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer Works
  • The First Telegraph
    Samuel Morse and the Invention of the Telegraph
  • Scientists Develop "Nano Bubble Water" In Japan
    Inventions Using Nanotechnology
  • Hand paying with a credit card
    Invention of Credit Cards
  • Spacewar on the Computer History Museum's PDP-1
    The History of Spacewar: The First Computer Game
  • DIY Tassel Scissor Charm
    Who Invented Scissors?
  • Native American woman in traditional dress
    Native American Inventions
  • A right hand sending letter to post box
    History of Mail and the Postal System
  • Pivot irrigation system sits in wheat field
    History of American Agriculture
  • Candy canes in a bowl
    The History of Candy Canes
  • Elevated view of illuminated casinos
    The History of Neon Signs
  • Liter bottles of 7UP on a grocery shelf
    The History of 7UP and Charles Leiper Grigg
  • View of wave breaking from underwater.
    The History of Sonar
  • Red, wet maple leaves arranged to make a Canadian flag
    Top 100 Inventions Made in Canada
  • TV and cords
    The Inventors Behind the Creation of Television
  • Cotton Harvest by cotton picker machine
    Inventions and Inventors of the Agricultural Revolution
  • Illustrated timeline of the iPhone's history
    Who Invented the iPhone?
  • Technician using electron scanning microscope, elevated view
    History of the Microscope
  • Designers watching 3D printer
    Who Invented the 3D Printer?
  • Female Tampon with disposable applicator
    A Brief History of the Tampon
  • Jet engine testing facility, Kadena AFB, Japan
    The History of the Jet Engine
  • An Electric Motor Cab And Driver
    The History of Cars
  • Clarinetists and bassoonists performing in orchestra
    A Brief History of the Clarinet
  • Fountain pen ticking box on page, close-up
    Who Invented the Fountain Pen?
  • Several young people sitting on a bridge railing using their smartphones on a sunny day.
    The Brief History of Smartphones
  • hand holding a pager
    History of Pagers and Beepers
  • Josephine Cochrane
    Josephine Cochran and the Invention of the Dishwasher
  • Bottles of Coca Cola
    The History of Coca-Cola
  • View from podium to full auditorium
    The History of Microphones
  • UAV Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (drone) attack
    The History of Drone Warfare
  • Laptop on a Table in a Cafe
    The History of Laptop Computers
  • Close up of half unzipped black zipper against white background.
    The History of the Zipper
  • Thomas Edison
    Thomas Edison's Greatest Inventions
  • Engine 489 steaming out of the yard
    History of the Steam Engine
  • A common thermometer
    The History of the Thermometer
  • Close-Up Of Screwdriver And Nut On Table
    The Evolution of the Screw and Screwdriver
  • Army Rangers being dropped from an airplane against a perfect blue sky.
    The Long History of the Parachute
  • Woman writing sheet music at the piano
    The History of Musical Instruments
  • Solar power installation with field & mountains
    Introduction to Green Technology
  • A six-pack of Pepsi, 1960s
    The History of Pepsi Cola
  • A nuclear weapon test by the American military at Bikini Atoll, Micronesia.
    The Manhattan Project and the Invention of the Atomic Bomb
  • A game of tennis during the time of King Henry VII
    Who Invented Tennis?
  • Jethro Tull [Misc.]
    Jethro Tull and the Invention of the Seed Drill
  • Galileo demonstrating his telescope
    The History of the Telescope and Binoculars
  • An Mp3 player
    The History of MP3 Technology
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