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Famous Inventors

Famous Black Inventors

Soak it all in.

lonnie johnson holding a super soaker and its us patent while sitting on the grass outside his home, june 1992

How Lonnie Johnson Invented the Super Soaker

The engineer tuned toy inventor gamed up the idea for the water gun while preparing for a NASA mission.

By Jordan Zakarin

Famous Black Inventors

black and white photo of madam cj walker

10 Black Inventors Who Changed Your Life

george washington carver

Did George Washington Carver Invent Peanut Butter?

madam cj walker

How Madam C.J. Walker Invented Her Hair Products

By Sara Kettler

daniel hale williams

Daniel Hale Williams Performed Open Heart Surgery

By Jordan Zakarin

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wilbur and orville wright

Orville and Wilbur Wright: The Brothers Who Changed Aviation

The siblings from Ohio successfully launched the first airplane into the skies in 1903.

By Hadley Meares

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Video poster

Steve Jobs - Mini Biography

helen keller and alexander graham bell face each other while standing for a portrait

How Alexander Graham Bell Helped Helen Keller

By David Blatty

thomas edison at his home in glenmont

Thomas Edison Wrote a Sci-Fi Novel That Flopped

nasa space scientist and mathematician katherine johnson poses for a portrait at work at nasa langley research center in 1966 in hampton virginia

10 Black Female Pioneers in Science

study of anatomy by leonardo da vinci 15th century skeletal structure

How Leonardo da Vinci Changed Your Life

By Barbara Maranzani

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More Inventors You Should Know

black and white image of garrett morgan, he wears a suit jacket, collared shirt, and tie and looks directly at camera

Garrett Morgan

John Deere

John Deere

jerry lawson sits at a desk in an office and holds a device on his lap, he is wearing a mauve short sleeve collared shirt and brown tie with a gold watch

Jerry Lawson

Karl Benz

Karl Benz

lewis howard latimer stares at the camera in a black and white photo, he wears a suit with a patterned tie and wire framed glasses

Lewis Howard Latimer

black and white drawing of granville t woods

Granville T. Woods

elijah mccoy looks at the camera, he wears a jacket over a collared shirt and tie and has a full beard

Elijah McCoy

Eli Whitney

Eli Whitney

circa 1916 of madam c.j. walker the first black woman millio

How Madam C.J. Walker Invented Her Hair Products

madam cj walker sits in the driver seat of an early car with the top down, a woman sits in the passenger seat, both women wear hats

11 Famous Black Inventors Who Changed Your Life

photo: hulton archive/getty images

Thomas Edison's Near-Death Experience Set Him on the Road to Fame

man leaning against a fireplace mantle

Wilbur Wright’s Run-In with a Notorious Killer

arthur wynne smiles at the camera while seated at a table, he holds a piece of paper and a pencil as several papers rest on the table

The Man Who Invented Crossword Puzzles

malleus maleficarum history of witches and sorcerers exhibition in mexico city

The Inventor Connected to the Salem Witch Trials

louis braille

Louis Braille

inventor garrett morgan helping responders lift the body of a tunnel disaster victim while wearing his safety hood device on his back

Inventor Garrett Morgan’s Lifesaving 1916 Rescue

frederick mckinley jones, may 1949, by sharee marcus, minneapolis tribune, inventor

Frederick Jones

lonnie johnson stands behind a wooden lectern and speaks into a microphone, he wears a black suit jacket, maroon sweater, white collared shirt and tie, behind him is a screen projection showing two charts

Lonnie Johnson

nikola tesla looks at the camera while turning his head to the right, he wears a jacket and white collared shirt

Nikola Tesla

nikola tesla, plasma globe

Nikola Tesla's Secrets to Longevity