From Mary Bellis,
Your Guide to Inventors.
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In 1886, Josephine Cochrane proclaimed "If nobody else is going to invent a dishwashing machine, I'll do it myself." Yes, she did invent the first dishwasher.

Would you believe that Thomas Jefferson, third President of the United States, invented the swivel chair?

Rene Hyacinth Laennec invented the stethoscope in 1781 as a medical instrument to better listen to heartbeats etc.

The revolving door was invented by Theophilus von Kannel in 1888.

The first stapler was patented on September 30, 1841 by inventor Samuel Slocum.

George Stephen invented the original Weber Kettle Grill in 1951.

Johan Vaaler invented the paperclip in 1899, but American Cornelius Brosnan received the first patent for a Konaclip in 1900.

Air brakes and railroad sleeping cars are both important inventions in railroad history. George Westinghouse invented air brakes in 1868, and George Pullman introduced the first sleeping car in 1857.

The first camera was the Camera Obscura - Latin for "dark room" - was a dark box or room with a hole in one end. If the hole was small enough, an inverted image would be seen on the opposite wall. No one is sure who invented it.

American inventor King Camp Gillette invented the modern T-shaped razor with disposable blades in 1901.

On January 29, 1886, Karl Benz received the first patent for a crude gas-fueled car.

The baby carriage was invented in 1733 by English architect William Kent for the 3rd Duke of Devonshire's children.

The teabag was first used by New York tea wholesaler Thomas Sullivan, who silk-wrapped samples of tea to customers in 1908.