Charles Babbage’s Mechanical Computer and the Teen Girl Who Coded It
In 1843, a teenage girl wrote the world’s first computer program for a machine that wouldn’t exist for another century.
Sarah Boone’s Ironing Board Curves: The Sewing Flop That Revolutionized Laundry Day
In 1892, a former slave’s clever ironing board redesign forever changed how we press clothes, but her story runs deeper.
Caresse Crosby’s “Backless Brassiere”: The High-Society Party That Banned Corsets
Caresse Crosby’s party fashion dilemma led to an invention that would liberate women from centuries of restrictive corsets.
Henry Blair’s Corn Planter: A 19th-Century Genius Overcoming All Odds
Overcoming illiteracy and racial barriers, Henry Blair’s revolutionary corn planter invention in 1834 would forever change American farming—but at what cost?
Caresse Crosby’S Bra Design Freed a Generation From Corsets
A teenage socialite’s frustration with her corset led to an invention that would forever change how women dress.
Nikola Tesla’s “Earthquake Machine”: The Legend of the Lab That Shook New York
Glimpse into Tesla’s controversial invention that allegedly shook Manhattan in 1893, and discover why he frantically destroyed it.
Letitia Geer’s One-Handed Syringe: The Quiet Invention That Transformed Healthcare
Geer’s revolutionary one-handed syringe design in 1899 forever changed medical care, but the story behind its creation remains largely untold.
Louis Braille’s No-Fear Defiance: Secretly Testing Dots by Candlelight
One blind teenager’s forbidden nighttime experiments revolutionized reading for millions, but his quest for change nearly cost him everything.
Josephine Cochrane’s Big Splash: Dishwasher Tech That Upset Factory Bosses
Factory owners trembled as Josephine Cochrane’s revolutionary dishwasher threatened to wash away their manual workforce in the 1880s.
Hubert Cecil Booth vs. Soot: The Vacuum Cleaner That Trailed Horses Around London
When Victorian engineer Hubert Booth unleashed his horse-drawn vacuum on London’s streets, chaos and cleanliness collided in an unexpected spectacle.