13 Inventors You've Never Heard of

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By Stephanie Walden2013-11-15 21:30:48 UTC

Can you imagine a world without frozen TV dinners or bubble wrap? (And more importantly, who would want to?)

Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Edison and Albert Einstein are probably the first names that come to mind when you think of "inventors." But beyond the big names, there are plenty of inventors whose creativity and ingenuity changed the way we live, even if they never became household names.

To pay homage to these under-the-radar innovators, we've put together a shortlist of influential inventors who you (most likely) never learned about in school.

If you're a TV dinner aficionado, you can thank Clarence Birdseye for the technology used in frozen food. Birdseye discovered a new way to flash-freeze foods that produced much fresher and better tasting results than the earlier, slower methods of freezing. His inventions marked the beginning of the frozen food industry as we know it today, and Birds Eye is still a popular brand of frozen food.

2. Samuel O'Reilly — Electric Tattooing Machine

Image: Flickr, geishaboy500

Not much is known about Samuel O'Reilly, but he is attributed with the invention of the modern rotary tattoo machine — technology that has not evolved much since its original iteration. O'Reilly began tattooing in New York City in the 1870s and operated a small tattoo parlor there for several years. His tattoo machine was the first of its kind to operate on electricity, and it was based on rotary technology developed by Thomas Edison.

Next time you crack open a cold one, take a moment to remember Ernie Fraze, the inventor of the soda can pop-tab. Fraze set out to improve the beverage can in 1959, and by 1965, more 75% of American beer brewers had adopted the new and improved can. Fraze's original design involved a "pull-top" opening that separated from the can, which eventually evolved into the push-in tabs we are familiar with today.

Image: Flickr, evanrude-

The popular, poppable packing material was actually invented serendipitously. Alfred Fielding and Marc Chavannes were trying (unsuccessfully) to design a plastic wallpaper, and in the process discovered that their invention made an effective packing material. The entrepreneurs went on to found the Sealed Air Corporation, a company that now produces annual revenues exceeding $8 billion, and it employs 26,300 people in 175 countries.

6. Garrett Morgan — The Gas Mask, Hair Straightener, Traffic Signal and More

Garrett Morgan only had an elementary school education, yet he is one of the most prolific inventors of his time, credited with the invention of gas masks, hair straighteners, modern traffic signals and more. His patented "breathing machine" led to the prototype of the gas masks used in World War I — equipment that saved countless lives during toxic gas warfare.

Image: Flickr, AMcGill

John Walker didn't invent fire, but he did invent a way to make it a little more portable. During experiments, Walker (a chemist) inadvertently created a paste that would burst into flames when scratched against a rough surface. He started selling matches made from cardboard sticks in 1824. Sadly, Walker never patented his breakthrough product, and Sir Isaac Holden (who took over the work that Walker left unfinished) eventually gained fame for the invention.

Believing corsets to be passé, Mary Phelps Jacob developed a more comfortable, less constricting women's undergarment, and she invented the modern bra in 1914. Jacob, a New York socialite, wanted to create a garment more in-line with the fashions of the time — sheer fabrics, tunics and plunging necklines. Soon after Jacob patented the bra, she grew weary of running the business and sold the patent rights to Warner Brothers Corset Company for $1,500. Over the next thirty years, Warner made more than $15 million off the invention.

Dr. Charles Drew, a physician and medical researcher, discovered a novel way to store and process blood plasma used in transfusions. His discoveries led to the development of blood banks, which revolutionized modern medicine.

Image: Flickr, andrewbain

Though awarded the Priestley Medal for his "genius for benign invention," Midgley's legacy today is less than stellar. His major inventions, including tetraethyl lead gasoline and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), have largely been recognized as major contributors toward global warming. At the time of its invention, leaded gasoline helped reduce "knock" in engines, and CFCs (used in Freon) led to safer and mass market refrigeration methods.

Not only will Midgley go down in history as an environmental vandal, he was actually killed by one of his own inventions, a pulley-system contraption he had created to support himself in bed while suffering from polio.

Elementary schoolteachers everywhere have Thomas Adams to thank for the constant reprimanding of gum-cracking students. Before coming up with chewing gum, Adams first tried utilizing chicle (a natural gum ingredient collected from trees) for rain boots, bicycle tires, masks and toys.

One of the most notable women inventors, Stephanie Kwolek is responsible for the invention of kevlar in 1965, the synthetic fiber used in bullet-proof vests. Kevlar is said to be five times stronger than steel, and has played a major role in the safety of soldiers, police officers and even extreme sport athletes around the world. Today, kevlar is used in underwater cables, skis, boats, parachutes, brake linings, fiber-optic cables, space vehicles and building materials.

Image: Flickr, martymadrid

Gentlemen, next time you pull the penguin suit out of the closet, you can thank (or curse) Pierre Lorillard. Though there are a couple schools of thought on the inventor of the traditional men's formalwear, many scholars credit Lorillard with the popularization of the tux. Lorillard was a 19th-century wealthy tobacco magnate who lived in Tuxedo Park, an area northwest of New York City. In October of 1886, Lorillard's son Griswold sported a new "tailless" black jacket to The Tuxedo Club's first annual Autumn Ball, thus condemning men everywhere to the timeless fashion statement for decades to come.

The inventor of the dog tuxedo is still up for debate.

Image: Flickr, Documentally

As a publication born on the web, we wanted to pay homage to the creator of the World Wide Web. If you don't know Tim Berners-Lee, you should — the British computer scientist is the father of the Web, and we love him for that.

Image: Flickr, pasukaru76

Topics: Dev & Design, Inventions, inventors, Tech, trivia