Elias Howe Patents First Lockstitch Sewing Machine
After eight years of tinkering, Elias Howe was awarded the first US patent for a practical lockstitch sewing machine on September 10, 1846.
Inventors
Farnsworth’s First TV Demonstration
On September 7, 1927, inventor Philo T. Farnsworth made his first successful presentation of the “image dissector,” a crucial part of the first televisions.
Marsh’s “Railway to the Moon”
On August 29, 1869, Sylvester Marsh demonstrated the world’s first mountain-climbing cog railway, earning the recognition and funds needed to complete it.
First Major Commercial Oil Well in the U.S.
On August 27, 1859, Edwin Drake struck oil near Titusville, Pennsylvania, establishing America’s first commercially viable oil well.
Happy Birthday Orville Wright
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.
Birth of Henry Ford
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.
Happy Birthday Max Fleischer
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.”
Birth of George Eastman
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.
Birth of Samuel Morse
Samuel Finley Breese Morse was born on April 27, 1791, in Charlestown, Massachusetts. Morse is credited with inventing the telegraph and the communication system used for the device, which bears his name: Morse code.