Electricity, readily available food and water, excellent means of communication, endless means and modes of entertainment makes the 21st century the most attractive period to live in. Life as they say has never been easier or more happening. But behind every modern invention is the work of a genius who spent years and decades in his backyard, unperturbed by failure or the charms of worldly life. It is the result of their dedication, hard work and that stroke of genius that makes the world what it is today. Unfortunately barring a Thomas Alva Edison or an Alexander Graham Bell, most of the names behind these inventions, remain buried underneath the pillars of time. This article attempts to enlist ten such inventors who deserve to be remembered:
1) Percy LeBaron Spencer (1894-1970) – In 1945, while standing in front of an operating magnetron, a chocolate bar in Spencer’s pocket melted, which resulted in him coming up with the idea to invent the microwave oven.
2) Arthur Wynne (1862-1945) – Editor and puzzle constructor Arthur Wynne invented the crossword puzzle in 1913 and people all over the world now have something to occupy themselves with on Sunday mornings.
3) Edward Binney & Harold Smith – In 1885 Edward Binney and Harold Smith founded their company Binney & Smith. The company was later known as Crayola, and they were the inventors of the Crayola Crayon.
4) Luther George Simjian (1905-1997) – Simjian is an inventor of numerous devices and holds over 200 patents. His most popular invention is the ATM, or automatic teller machine. He was not responsible for inventing the convenience fees however.
5) Alfred J. Gross (1918-2000) – Gross invented the first walkie-talkie, CB radio, the telephone pager and the cordless telephone. Sadly he didn’t make any money from his inventions.
6) Dr. Jacques Edwin Brandenberger (1872-1954) – In 1908, Dr. Brandenberger, a Swiss textile engineer, invented Cellophane.
7) Erno Rubik – It may come as no surprise that in 1974 Rubik invented the 3-D mechanical puzzle called the Rubik’s Cube and has been frustrating generations of people ever since.
8) Josephine Cochran (1839-1913) – Cochran invented the first practical mechanical dishwasher in 1886.
9) Mary Anderson (1866-1953) – At the age of 37, Mary Anderson was granted her first patent for an automatic car window-cleaning device called the windshield wiper.
10) Scott Elliott Fahlman – Fahlman is credited with inventing the first smiley emoticon in 1982.The smiley remains widely in use today specially while texting or communicating over the internet.
I end this article with the hope that every reader at least remembers one of these great men who definitely deserve to reside in the pages of every other history book and in the heart and mind of the masses who have benefited largely from their creations.