Benjamin Banneker (1731-1806), a free Black man and a contemporary of the Founding Fathers, was an interdisciplinary pioneer who taught himself about various forms of science, astronomy, and geographical surveying.
Benjamin Banneker: Astronomer, Surveyor, Scientist, Writer Read More »
Bubble gum was introduced in Philadelphia in 1928 where it was invented by a 23-year-old named Walter Diemer (1905-1998). Diemer was not a chemist—he was an accountant who worked for
Bubble Gum: How Dubble Bubble was Invented Read More »
Margaret Knight is best remembered as the inventor of the machine that makes flat-bottomed paper bags. This was a 19th-century innovation that still influences machinery today. However, that single achievement
Margaret Knight, Inventor of Flat-Bottom Bag Machine Read More »
For decades, Horn & Hardart’s Automats served as a singular social crossroads within the urban fabric of New York and Philadelphia. It was a regional restaurant business beloved by the
The Automat: Restaurant Built With Nickels Read More »
Matthew Henson (1866–1955) was the ultimate American explorer—brave, skilled, and unbreakable. For decades, however, history relegated him to the shadows because he was Black. Hired originally as a personal valet
Matthew Henson, Co-Discoverer of the North Pole Read More »
In the early 19th century, the American medical field was almost exclusively a men’s club. However, a few resilient women refused to accept the status quo, stepping forward as pioneers
Women in Medicine: Little Known Crusaders Read More »
