Yesterday was International Women’s Day, and today I am writing about some great inventions which were created/invented by women. Most of us are unaware that the following products were invented by women.
1 Caller ID, Call Waiting- Dr Shirley Ann Jackson- She is a theoretical physicist and the first African American woman to gain a Phd from MIT. Her research carried out in 70s is responsible for call waiting and caller ID. Her breakthrough research also helped invent such as portable fax, fibre optic cables, solar cells etc.
2 Dishwasher- Josephine Cochrane- She wanted to have a device that would wash the dishes faster than those who worked for her and be less likely to break them. So she decided to invent such a machine herself. She patented her invention in 1917 and opened her own factory.
3 Kevlar- Stephaine Kwolek- She discovered Kevlar product which is a lightweight material that was 5 times stronger than steel in 1965. This invention is widely used in different products such as bulletproof vests, body armor, household gloves etc. Kevlar is also found in mobile phones, airplanes, and suspension bridges.
4 The Modern Bra- Caresse Crosby (nee Mary Phelps Jacob)- In 1910 when Mary Jacob was 19 years, and was getting ready for a ball. As usual, she put on the corset, but this time it poked out from under her gown. Mary asked her maid to bring 2 handkerchiefs and a ribbon, and the first simple bra was designed. She patented her invention in 1914.
5 The Curling Iron- Theora Stephens- She was an African American hairdresser who created more efficient pressing and curling iron, which is being used now, in 1980.
6 The Fire Escape- Anna Connely-Not much is known about her life, but we do know the invention of the fire escape bridge, which now has become a precursor to modern fire escapes. She patented her creation in 1887. It is now a crucial part of the fire safety system in big city.
7 The Car Heater- Margaret Wilcox- She invented the first car heater in 1893. Her invention served as a basis for modern car heaters that warm us up on cold winter days.
8 Life Rafts- Maria Beasley- came up with a new life raft design( the modern life rafts are based on her invention). She patented her invention in 1882.
9 wireless Transmission- Hedy Lamarr- She was a famous Hollywood actress and inventor at the same time. During World War Ii, she and George Anthell invented a radio guidance system to prevent torpedoes from being set off course. Due to technical difficulties, this invention was not used until 1962. Her wireless transmission system contributed to the development of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
10 Central Heating-Alice Parker- She was an inventor who designed a gas-powered central heating system in 1919. It was a breakthrough idea that inspired the modern central heating system.
11 Scotchgard-Patsy Sherman- She was an American chemist and co inventor of scotchgard. While working she accidentally spilled a flurochemical rubber on an assistant’s shoe. Later they found out that the stain did not change the colour of the shoe and repelled water, oils, etc. This accident was the beginning of the Scotchgard invention.
12 The Windscreen Wiper-Mary Anderson- She once noticed that her driver had to open the window and remove the snow from the windscreen with his hands. She wanted to come up with a solution, and in 1903, she invented the windscreen wiper. Unfortunately, car companies did not believe in Mary’s invention and she never profited from it.
13 Space Station Batteries- Olga D Gnzalez-Sanabria- She is a Puerto Rican scientist and inventor. In the 80’s she developed technology that helped in creation of the long cycle-life nickel-hydrogen battery. These batteries helped provide the International Space Station with power.
14 The Paper Bag-Margaret Knight- In 1867, she worked at a paper bag factory where she noticed that women had to glue by hand envelope-style paper to be flat-bottomed. It was really inconvenient and time consuming and that’s why she decided to design a machine that could make flat-bottomed paper bags. She patented her invention in 1879.
15 Disposable Diapers- Marion Donovan- In 1946, she used a regular shower curtain to create a waterproof diaper cover. Se patented her invention in 1949 and later sold the patent to Keko Corporation for$ 1 million.
16 The Circular Saw- Tabitha Babbitt- She was a weaver and the first person to suggest a circular saw instead of a traditional saw which was operated by 2 men. In 1813 she made a prototype and attached it to the spinning wheel.
17 Solar Heated Houses- Dr Maria Tekes-she was a physicist and worked on solar energy technologies. In 1947, she invented the thermoelectric power generator to provide heat for Dover House which was designed together with architect Eleanor Raymond. This house stood for 3 winters before the system failed.
18 Computer Software- Grace Hopper- She was an American computer scientist and the US Navy rear admiral. She invented the compiler which translated written language into computer code. She coined the term “bug” and “ debugging’. In 1959, she participated in the development of one of the first modern programming language COBOL.
19 Liquid Paper- Bette Nesmith Graham- She was a secretary, and she often used white paint o cover up any typing errors in the documents. She spent a few years trying to make the formula perfect and in 1958, she patented Liquid Paper (Correction Fluid in common terminology). In 1979, she sold her invention to Gillette Corporation for $ 47.5 million.
Most of us were not knowing that these products/systems were invented by women.
Waiting for your views on this blog.
Anil Malik
Mumbai, India
9th March 2022