The Story of Parking Meters
The first parking meters in the United States went into use in Oklahoma City in 1935. The city grew rapidly in the early 20th century. In 1913, the city had …
Inventions
The Invention of Sunscreen
In the 1930’s and 1940’s, sunscreen was being developed independently but simultaneously by at least four different chemists in various parts of the world: The first-to-market was likely H.A. Milton …
The Signal Corps: Battlefield Communication–Civil War
Battlefield communication has always been difficult. Before technology, armies relied on bugles, trumpets, drums and banners to signal to the soldiers and to more distant regiments what was to come …
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Tom Carvel: King of Soft-Serve
Tom Carvel was a self-made success story whose name is synonymous with the product he created—soft-serve ice cream. Carvel (1906-1990) was among the early adopters of using a franchise system …
Lincoln Logs, Madame Alexander, & Monopoly
Lincoln Logs were invented by John Lloyd Wright, the son of architect Frank Lloyd Wright. John did not plan to be a toy inventor. But in so many ways, creating …
Gideon Sundback’s Invention of the Zipper
Gideon Sundback is credited with inventing the first zipper, but he was not the first to patent the device. Sundback, however, created the first zipper to work well, and he …
