Women inventors are behind a wide range of key innovations, from Kevlar to dishwashers to better life rafts. Female inventors have played a large role in U.S. history, but haven't always received credit for their work. Women --...

Learn about the 'Frost Free Nose Pump' that Jim and Jackie Anderson invented to provide clean water to their herds all year long.

According to this article, Elijah McCoy (1844-1929 CE) is one of the most prolific inventors in American history. Read about his parents who escaped slavery by traveling on the Underground Railroad and about his invention, the automatic...

From entertainment devices to lifesaving medical technologies, Latino inventors have advanced humankind through their contributions. Latino inventors have created revolutionary devices that have transformed our everyday world - and often...

In this stills collage adapted from the National Science Teachers Association/Craftsman Young Inventors Awards, see several inventions by students in grades 4-7 and read about some of the challenges they faced during the design process.

Inventor Frederick M. Jones is featured in this brief biography for his lasting contributions to the refrigerator and cinema industries.

Inventor Lloyd Augustus Hall is featured in this brief biography who made several contributions to the food and drug industry such as his patented method for curing meats so they would keep better.

Article on Newman Darby, the inventor of the windsurfer. It describes the various stages his invention went through as he refined it, and other watercraft that he designed.

Read about MIT teacher and practitioner Ernesto Blanco, inventor of the stair-climbing wheelchair. This article provides details on the inventor's life, his career outside of MIT, and his inventions that continue to help the handicapped...

After discussing important flying inventions, young scholars explore technological design by making paper airplanes.

The clock radio, multi-tool pocket knife, and smartphone are all examples of mashup inventions: the combination of two or more ideas in a different configuration to create something new and productive, says Bernie Carlson, a history...

Not an easy answer! Many people contributed to the invention of the automobile as there were many different types of automobiles and many different types of parts that went into them. Here's a good summary of the inventors.

Read about Robert Koffler Jarvik, the "inventor of the first permanently-implantable artificial heart." This article provides a biography of the inventor, the reasons why he became interested in creating an artificial heart, and his...

Read about Bessie Blount's contribution to medicine--her work as a physical therapist and her invention of a feeding device for amputees.

Read Wasyl Kunda's biography and learn about and his efforts in hydrometallurgy.

Called the "Father of Modern Agriculture," Cyrus McCormick invented the mechanical reaper, which turned the prairies of the Midwest into "the 'breadbasket' of the nation." This article, in addition to telling about the creation of the...

Robert Moog fused his love music and electronics when he invented the synthesizer. This website includes background information on the creation of the synthesizer and provides several links.

Provides descriptions of many well-known innovations that were invented in the 1920s.

At this site from Massachusetts Institute of Technology you can read about inventors, Anna Keichline and Lillian Gilbreth, who sought to make women's lives easier through their household items.

Get a look into the life of the wacky machine inventor Rube Goldberg. Includes a terrific biography, a gallery of his cartoon inventions, and a link to The Rube Goldberg Machine Contest.

Here is a thorough biography of inventor Granville T. Woods, who is credited with improving railway safety for bot the trains and trainmen. Find out what concepts in railroad safety are still being used today.

Many modern items were invented in the 1800s. This resource presents a lengthy chronological list of significant inventions from the 1800s and their inventors.

Edison's genius was improving on others' technologies and making them more practical for the general public. Thomas Edison applied for his first patent in 1868, when he was just 21 years old. The famous inventor's first brainchild was...

Massachusetts Institute of Technology provides interesting information on Chester F. Carlson, the inventor of the photocopier. The site provides good background on the history of the photocopier, and a photo of Carlson.