Vaccinations

When was it invented: 1796

Who invented it: Edward Jenner
How was it invented: Jenner’s successful 1796 use of cowpox material to create immunity
to smallpox, quickly made the practice widespread. His method underwent medical and
technological changes over the next 200 years, and eventually resulted in the eradication
of smallpox. It's considered the world's first vaccine. Although, evidence suggests that the
Chinese employed smallpox inoculation (or variolation, as such use of smallpox material
was called) as early as 1000 CE. Louis Pasteur’s 1885 rabies vaccine was the next to
make an impact on human disease. And then, at the dawn of bacteriology,
developments rapidly followed. Antitoxins and vaccines against diphtheria, tetanus,
anthrax, cholera, plague, typhoid, tuberculosis, and more were developed through
the 1930s.

Toothbrush

When was it invented: Boar bristles in 1498, modern day nylon tooth brush in
1938
Who invented it: DuPont

How was it invented: The toothbrush as we know it today was not invented until
1938. However, early forms of the toothbrush have been in existence since 3000
BC. Ancient civilizations used a "chew stick," which was a thin twig with a frayed
end. These 'chew sticks' were rubbed against the teeth. The bristle toothbrush,
similar to the type used today, was not invented until 1498 in China. The bristles
were actually the stiff, coarse hairs taken from the back of a hog's neck and
attached to handles made of bone or bamboo. Boar bristles were used until 1938,
when nylon bristles were introduced by Dupont de Nemours. The first nylon
toothbrush was called Doctor West's Miracle Toothbrush. Later, Americans were
influenced by the disciplined hygiene habits of soldiers from World War II. They
became increasingly concerned with the practice of good oral hygiene and quickly
adopted the nylon toothbrush.
Zipper

When was it invented: 1893

Who invented it: Whitcomb Judson

How was it invented: The story begins with Elias Howe, the inventor of the
sewing machine In 1851. Howe received a patent for an "Automatic, Continuous
Clothing Closure." It never went beyond that, and because of the success of the
sewing machine, Howe never pursued the system commercially.Fast forward to
1893, Whitcomb Judson markets a "Clasp Locker" device, similar to Howe's. But,
unlike Howe, Judson was first to market and is credited as "inventor of the zipper,"
although the zipper name wasn't mainstream until the B. F. Goodrich Company
started using the term.In 1917, a Swedish-born electrical engineer named Gideon
Sundback invented a new-and-improved system, calling it a "Seperable Fastner,"
which he received a patent for.

Syringe

When was it invented: 1650

Who invented it: Blaise Pascal

How was it invented: Although syringes were used by the Romans, the first
modern version came in 1650, invented by famous French polymath Blaise Pascal,
who was experimenting with hydrodynamics. His device exemplified the law of
physics that became known as Pascal’s Law, which proposes “when there is an
increase in pressure at any point in a confined fluid, there is an equal increase at
every other point in the container. “Unfortunately, experiments with this invention
didn't go well, and injections were basically frowned upon for 200 years. Fast
forward to 1844, when Irish doctor Francis Rynd constructs the first-ever hallow
steel needle, which he used to inject medicine. The first hypodermic needle would
be invented in 1853 and the rest is history
Headphones

When was it invented: 1910

Who invented it: Nathaniel Baldwin

How was it invented: Nathaniel Baldwin was working at a hydroelectric plant in

Utah, where he experimented with sound amplification using compressed
air. Baldwin used an idea for a telephonic feature to invent a more sensitive
telephonic receiver in 1910 and later sold versions on a contract to the U.S. Navy.
In 1910, a letter written in purple ink on blue and pink paper came to the U.S. Navy
from Baldwin, whose missive arrived with a pair of prototype telephone headsets
offered for military testing. While the request wasn’t immediately taken seriously,
the headphones were eventually tested and found to be a drastic improvement
over the model then being used by Naval radio operators. The Navy placed an
order for Baldwin’s headphones, only to learn that Baldwin was building them in his
kitchen and could only produce 10 at a time. Wireless Specialty Apparatus Co.
ended up partnering with Baldwin to manufacture the headphones. Later, in 1957,
EMI would release the first commercial stereo headphones.