American Innovation

LIFESTYLE October 18

Meet the American who invented the hard hat, a proud symbol of our nation's working class

Edward W. Bullard invented the hard hat in 1919, then patented it in 1929. It's credited with saving lives on job sites while also becoming a symbol of working-class America.

LIFESTYLE September 6

Meet the American who invented the shopping cart, Sylvan Goldman, Oklahoma supermarket mogul

Meet Sylvan Goldman, an American born to immigrant parents in Oklahoma. As a businessman, his brilliantly simple invention, the shopping cart, changed consumer culture.

LIFESTYLE August 16

Meet the American who launched modern submarines, John Philip Holland, 'brilliant' self-taught engineer

Meet the American who is "the father of the modern submarine." The first U.S. and British submarines, the USS Holland and HMS Holland, were the designs of John Philip Holland.

LIFESTYLE August 2

Meet the American who launched the Frisbee, Fred Morrison, World War II combat pilot and POW

Walter Frederick Morrison conceived of a leisure-time flying disc on a California beach in 1937. He made the Frisbee a reality after serving heroically in World War II.

LIFESTYLE July 16

Meet the American who invented the TV remote control: self-taught Chicago engineer Eugene Polley

Self-taught Chicago mechanical engineer Eugene Polley invented the first wireless TV remote control in 1955, but his contribution was nearly erased by later innovations.

LIFESTYLE March 30

On this day in history, March 30, 1858, American visionary Hymen Lipman patents pencil with eraser

The pencil eraser was patented in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, by Hymen Lipman, a Jewish immigrant from Kingston, Jamiaca, on this day in history, March 30, 1858.

LIFESTYLE January 10

American exceptionalism 'running on fumes' as woke ideology stifles creativity and meritocracy, scholars say

American exceptionalism, universally accepted as real for generations, is now threatened by woke ideology, say scholars Victor Davis Hanson and Craig Shirley.

LIFESTYLE January 9

On this day in history, January 9, 2007, Steve Jobs introduces Apple iPhone at Macworld in San Francisco

Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone, Apple's first smartphone, at the Macworld Expo in San Francisco on this day in history, Jan. 9, 2007. The product changed society and Apple's bottom line.

LIFESTYLE November 18, 2023

On this day in history, November 18, 1883, North American railroads create time zones, reshape global life

North American railroads created time zones to bring sanity to scheduling transcontinental travel on this day in history, Nov. 18, 1883. The system was quickly adopted around the world.

LIFESTYLE September 8, 2023

Meet the American who patented the drinking straw, Marvin Stone, Civil War veteran and mint julep enthusiast

Marvin Stone, a Civil War veteran who survived combat wounds, patented the paper drinking straw in 1888. His invention has enjoyed a rebirth in the 21st century.