Lisa O.
Humans are naturally curious and creative, which has led us to make countless scientific and technological breakthroughs. Ever since our early ancestors first smashed a rock to make a sharp tool, we’ve been on a roll with new ideas. From the everyday stuff to the truly game-changing—here’s a list of 15 American innovations that changed the world.
Ferris Wheel
A trip to a theme park or carnival isn’t complete without hopping on a Ferris wheel. This classic ride, named after George Washington Gale Ferris, made its big debut at the Chicago World’s Fair on June 21, 1893. The Ferris wheel quickly became a favorite with its huge rotating wheel and passenger capsules. It was the United States’ answer to France’s Eiffel Tower—one of many cool ideas meant to inspire awe and excitement in people.
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Since we were kids, most of us have had a soft spot for delicious cookies. And let’s be honest, the classic chocolate chip cookie probably tops the list. Made with flour, butter, brown sugar, and semi-sweet chocolate chips, this tasty snack was actually invented by accident back in 1930. Ruth Graves Wakefield, who ran the Toll House Inn with her husband in Whitman, came up with this cookie while whipping up some home-cooked meals at their restaurant.
Dental Floss
Flossing is a vital part of keeping our teeth clean and healthy, and it goes hand in hand with brushing. Way before people knew about plaque and bacteria, a New Orleans dentist named Levi Spear Parmly realized that cleaning between our teeth was important for preventing cavities. Back in 1815, he introduced dental floss, which was first made from silk. Nowadays, floss is made from nylon or plastic, but the goal is the same—keeping our smiles looking great!
Zipper (Clasp Locker)
If you find buttons annoying when you’re getting dressed for work or dealing with the weather, you can thank Whitcomb L. Judson from Chicago. He invented the clasp locker, which was an early version of the zipper, back in 1893. His original design was for fastening shoes, making it a lot easier than messing with all the buttons on those fancy boots that were in style in the late 1800s.
Hearing Aid
The first electronic hearing aid was introduced in 1902 by Miller Reese Hutchison, an inventor from Alabama. Back in 1895, Hutchinson came up with an early hearing aid he called the “akouphone.” Even though he wasn’t a doctor—he took some classes at the Medical College of Alabama to learn more about how the ear works. His interest was sparked by a childhood friend who was deaf.
Cardiac Defibrillator
William B. Kouwenhoven became interested in how electricity affects the heart, particularly in cases of ventricular fibrillation—a rapid, unstable heartbeat. Starting in the late 1920s at Johns Hopkins University, he and his team researched this connection. In 1933, they made a breakthrough by using an electric shock to stop ventricular fibrillation in a dog’s heart, paving the way for the development of the first external defibrillators and revolutionizing cardiac care.
Radiocarbon Dating
Radiocarbon dating is a method used to figure out how old ancient objects are from digs. This technique was invented by Willard Libby 1949 at the University of Chicago. Libby found out that a special kind of carbon called carbon-14 gets taken in by all living things. When something dies, the carbon-14 starts to break down at a steady rate. By measuring this breakdown, scientists can use a formula to determine how old the artifact is.
Crash Test Dummies
The crash test dummy was invented in 1949 by Samuel W. Alderson. Alderson was quite the overachiever, finishing high school at just 15 before going to several colleges and working in his family’s sheet metal business. During World War II, he worked on electric motors for missile guidance systems. Later, he joined IBM and created a motorized prosthetic arm. Known for his work in biomechanics, he eventually started his own company and began designing the first crash test dummy.
Traffic Light
Keeping traffic moving smoothly at intersections would be pretty tough without traffic lights. The modern electric traffic light we use today was developed in 1912 by Lester Wire, a police officer from Salt Lake City. Back then, it only had red and green lights for stop-and-go. Before traffic lights were around, police officers had to direct traffic themselves. It wasn’t until 1924 that traffic lights became automated—before that, they had to be operated by hand.
Microwave Oven
The microwave wasn’t originally made for cooking. In 1945, Percy Spencer, an engineer from Maine working on radar technology at Raytheon, discovered that microwaves had accidentally melted the chocolate bar in his pocket. While others had noticed this weird effect from the magnetron, they were too scared to look into it. Spencer decided to experiment with it—using it to heat up his lunch. By 1946, Raytheon had patented the first microwave oven.
Lasers
The concept of a laser was first proposed by Gordon Gould, and it was inspired by masers, which boost microwaves. The first real laser was built by Theodore H. Maiman at Hughes Research Laboratories in Malibu, California. Even though some people doubted that artificial rubies could work as the core for lasers, Maiman wasn’t convinced by their calculations and managed to create the first laser using those rubies in 1960.
Global Positioning System (GPS)
Finding your location on Earth has really changed over the years. Nowadays, we use GPS—which is a system of satellites managed by the U.S. government to show exactly where you are on a map. This tech was developed by the U.S. Department of Defense in 1973 but didn’t become fully operational until 1993. It all started with experiments in the 1960s that used satellites to track U.S. submarines.
Video Games
Video games are super popular today, with most American kids and teens playing them. But the first video game wasn’t digital—it was an analog electronic game that used a cathode ray tube. Created by Thomas T. Goldsmith, Jr. and Estle Ray Mann in 1948, it was called the “cathode-ray tube amusement device.” Cathode ray tubes were a common technology in the 20th century, used to create the images on old TV screens.
Chemotherapy
These days, cancer and chemotherapy are super common terms. However, the story of how chemotherapy started as a cancer treatment goes back to the 1940s. That’s when two Yale University pharmacologists, Louis S. Goodman and Alfred Gilman, stumbled upon something surprising. They discovered that nitrogen mustard—a chemical used in warfare—could actually slow down the growth of some cancer cells.
Mobile Phone
Originally, mobile phones were designed for busy professionals who were always on the move. Nowadays, though, they’ve become a must-have for almost everyone. The first handheld mobile phone was created by a team led by Dr. Martin Cooper—who was the vice president of Motorola. He introduced the first mobile phone in 1973, and it weighed almost four-and-a-half pounds.
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