5. Traffic lights
- Lester Wire (1887–1958)
Now, all you have to do is put on your seat belt because Lester Wire, the electrical traffic lights inventor, covers your back every time you get into the car. How so? Well… He invented them in 1912, and due to him, our world is a safer place.
We can’t thank him enough because car accidents were a huge problem back then, taking the lives of many people, even police officers’ lives as one of their main duties was to direct traffic themselves.
Lester Wire was a policeman from Salt Lake City, and even if he was never credited for inventing the electrical traffic lights, it is believed to be the first American man to create the traffic light system as we all know it today.
6. Microwave ovens
- Percy Spencer (1894–1970)
They were invented by Percy Spencer, an American physicist, in 1945. The inventor of the microwave oven was born in Howland, Maine, and his significant invention changed many Americans’ lives.
A microwave oven is probably one of the most common kitchen items now, saving us precious time when we want to reheat leftovers or enjoy a bag of popcorn.
Unfortunately, Percy Spencer received 2 dollars for his invention from Raytheon, a major U.S. defense contractor and industrial corporation where he worked. However, even if the company received the patent, we all know that Percy Spencer was responsible for making our lives much easier. Well done, Spencer!
1 thought on “10 American Inventors That Changed the World”
The semiconductor or “chip” is the basis of several of these …. that is the invention that cause so much change. It in my opinion was the greatest invention of the last half of the 20th century.