Page 292 - Inventions - A Visual Encyclopedia (DK - Smithsonian)

LAMARR, HEDY (1914–2000) multimillionaire, she heads her own
Best known as a Hollywood actress, company, Ingenious Designs Inc.
the Austrian-American Lamarr is In 2015, her story was made into the
now recognized as an important film Joy, starring Jennifer Lawrence. developing the
inventor. In 1941, with her business first Japanese tape
partner George Antheil, she recorder, a transistor radio,
received the patent for a wireless MARCONI, GUGLIELMO and the Trinitron TV system. The
communication system (a forerunner (1874–1937) Walkman of 1979 was inspired by
of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth technology) The “father of radio” was a young Ibuka’s love of listening to opera
to be used by the military. “Inventions Italian scientist called Guglielmo on long flights and the need for a
are easy for me to do,” she later Marconi. He was fascinated by streamlined, lightweight, portable,
radio waves and, through tireless
personal player.
claimed. “I suppose I just came
REFERENCE from a different planet.” experimentation, pioneered long- MATZELIGER, JAN ERNST
distance radio transmission and
radio telegraphy. In 1896, Marconi
LEIZU OR XI LING SHI
transmission between buildings
Born to a Dutch father and a slave
(2nd MILLENNIUM bce) demonstrated the first wireless (1852–1889)
The Chinese teacher Confucius told in London, UK. The following year, mother, the Surinamese inventor
the story of how the ancient empress his equipment could transmit across developed an early interest in
Leizu became the first person to the English Channel and, by 1901, machinery at his father’s shipyard.
discover silk. Around 2640 bce, the across the Atlantic Ocean to the By 1877, employed in a shoe factory
young wife of Emperor Huangdi was US. He shared the Nobel Prize in Massachusetts, he began figuring
sitting under a mulberry tree when for Physics in 1909. out how to attach a shoe sole to its
the cocoon of a silkworm fell in her upper by machine. This job was done
teacup and she saw how it was MASON, STANLEY by hand and even a skilled worker
formed of tiny threads. This revelation (1921–2006) could complete only 50 pairs a day.
inspired her to rear silkworms and The American businessman and Matzeliger’s machine, patented in
experiment with the fibers to create inventor worked on a multitude of 1883, raised shoe production to
silk fabric using a loom—a process consumer items, including microwave between 150 and 700 pairs a day.
that became known as sericulture.
cookware, plastic dental floss, baby
wipes, sports bras, and surgical MONTAGU, JOHN
MANGANO, JOY (1956–) masks. The squeezable ketchup bottle (1718–1792)
American inventor Mangano has and fitted disposable diaper are his In 1762, the British statesman and
patents for hundreds of everyday most famous creations. The diaper 4th Earl of Sandwich ordered a chef
products, from wheeled luggage and came about when he had his own to make him something he could eat
jewelry boxes to rubber platform children: “I held up the cloth diaper, with his hands so he could snack
shoes and reading glasses. In 1990, and it was square. I looked at the without going to the dinner table.
she invented the Miracle Mop, a baby, and it was round. I knew there The result was the sandwich—meat,
self-wringing plastic floor mop with was a engineering problem.” for instance, between slices of bread.
a self-rinsing cotton head. Now a
IBUKA, MASARU OTIS, ELISHA (1811–1861)
(1908–1997) The American inventor of the
The Japanese industrialist started his safety device for elevators was
career in a photochemical laboratory, a self-taught mechanic who also
where he showed early promise patented an automatic turner for
as an inventor with his modulated making wooden bedframes, a steam
light transmission system—a kind plow, and a railroad safety brake. The
of neon. He founded the company safety device, developed in the 1850s,
that would become Sony in 1949, was simple, employing springs to

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