Inventors

Inventor Jan Matzeliger was born on September 15, 1852, in Paramaribo, Dutch Guyana (present-day Surinam).  He invented a device that is considered “the most important invention for New England” and the “greatest step forward in the shoe industry.” 

After eight years of tinkering, Elias Howe was awarded the first US patent for a practical lockstitch sewing machine on September 10, 1846.

On September 7, 1927, inventor Philo T. Farnsworth made his first successful presentation of the “image dissector,” a crucial part of the first televisions.

On August 29, 1869, Sylvester Marsh demonstrated the world’s first mountain-climbing cog railway, earning the recognition and funds needed to complete it.

On August 27, 1859, Edwin Drake struck oil near Titusville, Pennsylvania, establishing America’s first commercially viable oil well.

Aviator and inventor Orville Wright was born on August 19, 1871, in Dayton, Ohio. He and his brother would go on to become aviation pioneers.

Industrialist and auto manufacturer Henry Ford was born on July 30, 1863, in Greenfield Township, Michigan.  He was a pioneer in the automotive industry, starting a company that’s still in business today.

Animator, inventor, and film director Max Fleischer was born in Kraków, Poland, on July 19, 1883. Fleischer patented several animation innovations and was behind popular cartoons such as Betty Boop, Popeye, and Superman, earning the nickname “The Dean of Animated Cartoons.”

Entrepreneur George Eastman was born on July 12, 1854, in Waterville, New York. Eastman invented the first successful film roll, making photography accessible for everyone and contributing to the development of motion pictures.