Little-known American inventors - Democratic Underground

Archae

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Fri May-07-10 12:42 PM
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Little-known American inventors

From the History Channel magazine:

1903 Albert Parkhouse-Wire coat hanger

1914 Film star Florence Lawrence-Electric turn signal

1920 Earle Dickson-Band Aid

1935 Carl Magee-Parking meter

1956 Eugene McDonald and Robert Adler-Remote TV control

1968 Doug Engelbart-Computer mouse

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KamaAina

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Fri May-07-10 01:50 PM
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1. 1853 George Crum-potato chip

Edited on Fri May-07-10 01:50 PM by KamaAina

Not quite in the vein of the lone inventor working tirelessly in his garage, but just as interesting...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potato_chip#Origins

The original potato chip recipe was created by George Crum, the son of an African American father and Native American mother, in Saratoga Springs, New York on August 24, 1853. Fed up with a customer who continued to send his fried potatoes back complaining that they were too thick and soggy, Crum decided to slice the potatoes so thin that they could not be eaten with a fork. As they could not be fried normally in a pan, he decided to stir-fry the potato slices. Against Crum's expectation, the guest was ecstatic about the new chips and they soon became a regular item on the lodge's menu, under the name "Saratoga Chips." They eventually became popular throughout New York and New England. One version of this story identifies Cornelius Vanderbilt as the customer who wanted his potatos served thinner.

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jobycom

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Fri May-07-10 01:56 PM
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2. Who invented the alarm clock. I want Skittle to kick his ass. nt

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Brother Buzz

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Fri May-07-10 02:51 PM
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3. 1949 Frank Zamboni - the ZAMBONI®

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Fri May 03rd 2024, 06:32 AM
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