INVENTIONS BY WOMEN

1. Car Heater

Margaret A. Wilcox invented the car heater in 1893. She also invented a combined clothes and dishwasher machine which evidently did not go over well.




2. Monopoly

This popular board game was designed by Elizabeth Magie in 1904. Originally called The Landlord's Game, it's purpose was to expose the injustices of unchecked capitalism. Charles Darrow stole the game and sold it to Parker Brothers 30 years later, but she did receive $500 from Parker Brothers.

3. The Fire escape

The fire escape was invented by Anna Connelly in 1887.

4. Residential Solar Heating

Solar heating for residential housing was invented by Dr. Maria Telkes in 1947. She was a Psychiatrist in addition to being a Solar-Power Pioneer

 


5. The Life Raft

The Life Raft was invented by Maria Beasely in 1882 (Maria also invented a machine that makes barrels).

 6.  Medical Syringe 

The medical syringe which could be operated with only one hand was invented by a woman by the name of Letitia Geer in 1899

7. The Modern Electric Refrigerator

The electric refrigerator was invented by Florence Parpart in 1914 (She also invented an improved street cleaning machine).

 

 


8. The Ice Cream Maker

The ice cream maker was invented by a woman named Nancy Johnson in 1843. Her patented design is still used today.

 
9. The Computer Algorithm

Ada Lovelace is essentially the first computer programmer due to her work with Charles Babbage at the University of London in 1842. In fact, her notes were an essential key to helping Alan Turing's work on the first modern computers in the 1940s.

10. Telecommunications Technology

 Some of the Telecommunication Technology developed by Dr. Shirley Jackson include portable fax, touch tone telephone, solar cells, fiber optic cables and the technology behind caller ID and call waiting.

 
11. The Dishwasher

The dishwasher was invented by Josephine Cochrane in 1887. She even marketed her machine to hotel owners and opened her own factory without the help of a man.

12. Wireless Transmission Technology

Hedy Lamarr, world famous film star, invented a secret communications system during WWII for radio-controlling torpedoes. This technology also paved the way for everything from Wi-Fi to GPS.

13. Closed-Circuit Television Security (CCTV)

Marie Van Brittan Brown invented CCTV because of the slow response of police officers in 1969 to help people ensure their own security. This invention influenced modern CCTV systems used for home security and police work today.

14. The Modern Paper Bag

 Margaret Knight invented a machine that makes square-bottomed paper bags in 1871. She almost didn't get credit when Charles Anan tried to steal her work claiming it wasn't possible for a woman to create this brilliant invention (Margaret also invented a safety device for cotton mills when she was 12 which is still being used today)

15. Central Heating

 Although Alice Parker's invention in 1919 of a gas powered central heater was never manufactured, her idea was the first that allowed use of natural gas to heat a home, inspiring the central heating systems used today.

16. Kevlar

This life-saving material which is five times stronger than steel and used to make bulletproof vests was invented in 1965 by Stephanie Kwolek.

 





17.  Computer Software

 Dr. Grace Murray Hopper, a computer scientist, invented COBOL, the first user-friendly business computer software system in the 1940s. She was also a Rear Admiral in the U.S. Navy and the first person to use the term "bug" in reference to a glitch in a computer system when she literally found a bug (moth) causing problems with her computer.

18. Beer

According to Bear Historian Jane Peyton, Mesopotamian women were the first to develop, sell and drink beer.




Charlene Raddon is a multi-published author of western historical romance. Sign up for her newsletter on her webpage. You may win a Kindle. You can find her at:

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