Inventors that Transformed Our World

When one thinks of great inventors, certain names immediately come to mind: Leonardo Da Vinci, Guttenberg, the Wright Brothers, Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, Benjamin Franklin, Henry Ford. These men are credited with creating some of the world’s most influential devices. However, there have been many other prolific inventors that have transformed the world that we live in. Check out our list below:

Louis Braille (1809 – 1852)

Louis Braille invented the raised text allowing the blind and visually impaired the ability to read to write. Braille functions through the use of 6 raised dots arranged in different combinations, creating a pattern for the reader to feel.

John Moses Browning (1855 – 1926)

John Browning is the inventor responsible for designing the semi-automatic, and automatic machine gun. Well known firearms include the Browning automatic rifle, and the Browning .50 cal.

Charles Goodyear (1800 – 1860)

Charles Goodyear invented the ‘vulcanization’ process, a chemical reaction key to creating strong and durable rubber product. Years later, The Goodyear Tire Company was founded in his name.

Jonas Salk (1914 – 1995)

Dr. Jonas Salk invented the polio vaccine, which directly resulted in the extinction of the Polio Virus, one of the worst diseases of the Post-war era. Salk’s vaccine helped save millions of lives from the paralyzing disease.

Nikola Tesla (1856 –1943)

Nikola Tesla is the man responsible for bringing ‘power to the people’. He developed the form of electricity known as alternating current or A.C. In terms of efficiency, Tesla’s form of electricity far surpassed Thomas Edison’s direct current and became the standard for powering towns and cities.

Charles Babbage (1791 – 1871)

Known as the ‘father of the computer’, Charles Babbage invented the first mechanical computer and drew up designs for many other programmable machines. The primitive machines that Babbage developed influenced the creation of the calculator, programming languages and the modern computer.

Elisha Otis (1811 – 1861)

Elisha Otis is credited with inventing the elevator safety mechanism. The safety device prevented an elevator from falling if the support cord failed or was cut. Otis’ invention allowed for safe use of elevator systems and opened up doors for the construction of higher buildings and skyscrapers.

Igor Sikorsky (1889 – 1972)

After emigrating to the United States , this aircraft designer developed the first helicopter to use a rotor tail design and turned the invention into a profitable business. His rotor-tail design was so popular; it is still used today by modern helicopters. Today, the leading helicopter manufacturing is the company he founded, Sikorsky Helicopter.

Samuel Morse (1791 – 1972)

Samuel Morse revolutionized communication with the invention of the signal sending device known as the telegraph. In addition to inventing the telegraph, he also developed a code to be used with the device which he called Morse code.

Philo Farnsworth (1906 – 1971)

The first fully functional electric television was developed by inventor Philo Farnsworth. There have been many people who claim to have invented the television, but Farnsworth was the first to transmit an image onto one.

Robert Goddard (1882 – 1945)

The first liquid fueled rocket was designed and launched by Robert Goddard. Almost all rockets today are based off of Goddard’s rocket design.