As much as history tends to ignore or blatantly erase women’s contributions to society, women continue to innovate and help push the world forward. They always seem to persevere and find ways to make all of our lives better. This Women’s History Month, it’s important to remember the women who paved the way for innovation and make sure their stories continue to be shared. Although there are many more examples, here are six women that created world-altering inventions.
- Modern Hairbrush – Lyda D. Newman
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Where would the world be without hairbrushes? We don’t have to imagine thanks to Lyda Newman. Lyda D. Newman (1885-?) was an African American inventor and women’s rights activist credited with creating the first hairbrush made with synthetic bristles and materials. In 1898, at the young age of 13, she patented her hairbrush, which was a deviation from the standard animal hair ones of the time. Her aim was to create a brush that worked for African American hair and made the styling process easier for hairdressers. This invention revolutionized modern hair care for everyone and still has a large influence today seeing as they are widely used across the globe.
- Fire Escape – Anna Connelly
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Along with many other influential inventions, the modern fire escape was invented by a woman. Anna Connelly (1883-1924) was one of the first women to patent an invention following the Civil War. In 1887, she patented the first outdoor fire escape that included steel stairs with railings and platforms between each flight. Connelly created them to make evacuating from a burning building safer and more efficient rather than risking a fall from a high window in an emergency. This invention is still very important today and has aided in saving many lives in the last 135 years.
- Natural Gas Heating System – Alice H. Parker
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With all the cold weather we’ve been facing recently, it’s hard to imagine life without heaters in our homes. Thanks to Alice Parker, we don’t have to. Alice H. Parker (1895-1920) was an African American student and inventor that created the first central heating system using natural gas in 1919. Through her invention, families could warm their homes without using fireplaces, which often failed to distribute heat and would release smoke into the air. This way, cold air could be pulled into the heater and redistributed as heated air into homes. This invention is still very influential to this day and has made keeping our homes, schools, and workplaces warm.
- Monopoly Game – Elizabeth Magie
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Although the Parker Brothers technically created the game of Monopoly, it wasn’t their original idea. Elizabeth Magie (1866-1948) created and patented the Landlord’s Game in 1903 as a means of protesting monopolists. Her game spread across the country and was played casually at universities and among left-wing groups. Through this, the man that was credited with Monopoly’s creation, Charles Darrow, ended up hearing about the game from a friend and eventually pitched and sold the game to Parker Brothers with a few modifications to the rules. However, the Parker Brothers found Magie, made a deal, and purchased her game patent. Thankfully, Magie is now given the credit she deserves for creating this iconic and educational game.
- Windshield Wipers – Mary Anderson
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During her trip to New York City in 1903, Mary Anderson (1866-1953) noticed that her trolley car conductor had to drive with the windows down and make frequent stops to remove snow and moisture from the windshield and windows manually. This sparked her idea for a rubber blade that a driver could operate from inside the car to clean off windshields. Although cars weren’t very popular at the time, she applied for her patent. Within a few years, windshield wipers were used for every car and motor vehicle. Today, they continue to be used all over the world and make traveling safer for everyone.
- Signal Hopping (used in GPS, WIFI, and Bluetooth) – Hedy Lamarr
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Please take a second to imagine a world without WiFi. Scary, right? Thanks to Hedy Lamarr (1914-2000), we are able to use things like WiFi, Bluetooth, and GPS technology in our day-to-day lives. Hedy Lamarr started tinkering with machines and music boxes when she was a young girl and became a successful actress at the age of 16. Acting pulled her away from her love of science and technology, but eventually, she was drawn back after designing new airplane wings for Howard Hughes. In 1940, she met George Antheil and started to work with him on weapons to defeat the axis powers. She eventually invented “frequency hopping” which could help torpedoes find their targets in the war. By 1942, she had patented frequency hopping with Antheil, but was never paid or fully recognized for her work until later in life. Her contributions still hold immeasurable significance today.
It’s crucial to remember what we’ve been through to see where we’re going. I hope the stories of these women inspire you in some way and Happy Women’s History month! If you want to learn more about women’s history, click here.