Hello and welcome! Today, we’ll be highlighting 20 inventions created by Black Americans who have helped us in our daily lives.
Number one, we have the traffic light. Invented in 1923 by Garrett Morgan, the traffic light has become a ubiquitous part of modern society. It’s hard to imagine a world in which millions of cars would drive around with no one knowing when it was their turn to move.
Number two is the ironing board. This household staple was invented by Sarah Boone in the late 1800s. It has since come a long way, now featuring collapsible designs that make it easier to store and transport.
Number three is the peanut butter machine. George Washington Carver invented the machine in the early 1900s. It revolutionized the peanut butter industry and made it easier and faster to make high-quality peanut butter.
Number four is the eclipse predictor. Lewis Howard Latimer invented this device in 1892. It was designed to predict solar eclipses, making it useful for astronomers and scientists around the world.
Number five is the gas mask. Garrett Morgan invented this important device in 1914. It has saved countless lives and is still used today by first responders, firefighters, and other emergency personnel.
Number six is the shoe lasting machine. Invented by Jan Matzeliger in 1883, it allowed for the mass production of shoes and dramatically reduced the time and cost to make them.
Number seven is the ice cream scoop. The legendary inventors Fredrick McKinley Jones and Joseph G. Day both have a claim on this invention from the early 1900s. It made eating ice cream much easier and cleaner than it was before.
Number eight is the refrigerator car. Fredrick McKinley Jones invented this game-changing device in the late 1920s. It made it easier to transport perishable goods over long distances and revolutionized food distribution.
Number nine is the folding/portable baby crib. This invention was first patented by Stephen Fitzgerrell in 1889. It quickly became popular in hospitals and eventually everywhere else, as it provided an easier way to transport infants while they slept.
Number ten is the automatic street sweeper truck. Invented by the great inventor Benjamin Bradley in 1896, it revolutionized city street cleaning by eliminating the need for labor-intensive manual cleaning.
Number eleven is the fire escape ladder. Robert Isabell designed the three-story collapsible ladder in 1887, which allowed people to quickly and easily escape from tall buildings during a fire emergency.
Number twelve is the paper bag machine. Inventor Margaret Knight developed a machine in 1871 that could mass-produce paper bags more quickly and efficiently than ever before.
Number thirteen is the lubrication pump for steam engines. The pump was invented in 1872 by Elijah McCoy, who would later earn himself the nickname “The Real McCoy” due to the remarkable popularity of his invention.
Number fourteen is the electric lamp socket holder. Invented by Lewis Latimer in 1881, it has become a common feature in our homes today.
Number fifteen is the shoe buffer machine. Jan Matzeliger design a machine in 1832 that was able to automatically handle a shoe polishing task that normally required several hours of tedious labor to complete by hand.
Number sixteen is the roller coaster brake system. Invented in 1933 by invented Joseph Scoote, this important safety device prevents roller coasters from suddenly stopping mid-ride and gives riders peace of mind when strapped into their seat for a thrilling ride.
Number seventeen is the automated teller machine (ATM). Johnsson Brown invented this machine in 1968, allowing customers to access their accounts without going into a bank or speaking to an employee.
Number eighteen is the kidney dialysis machine. In 1945, inventor Wilbert Lawrence created this machine, allowing people with kidney disease to receive life-saving treatments without having to visit a clinic or hospital every day.
Number nineteen is the typewriter ribbon spools. As early as 1872, William Burt invented these spools which allowed typewritten documents to be printed without recoiling excess ribbon every few lines of text.
And finally, number twenty is thermal energy storage technology. In 1962, inventor Lonnie Johnson invented this important piece of technology, which has since been used to capture and store solar energy for renewable use at home or in businesses, conserving our environments for future generations to come.
These are just some of the many inventions created by Black Americans that have impacted our daily lives in numerous ways – inventions that have been and will continue to be praised for generations to come!
