1.

Japan

Date of Independence:

August 15, 1945

Significant Contribution

TV watch

 The world's first TV watch, the TV-Watch, was

developed by Seiko in 1982

Typewriter

 The first typewriter to be based on the Japanese writing

system was invented by Kyota Sugimoto in 1929

Magnetic resistant steel

 Magnetic resistant steel that is three times more

resistant than tungsten steel, invented by Kotaro

Honda.

Educational System:

In Japan, higher education starts upon the completion of 12 years of education:

elementary education (6 years of elementary school) and secondary education (3 years of
lower secondary school and 3 years of upper secondary school).There are 5 types of
higher education institutions that international students can be admitted to, which are 1)
colleges of technology, 2) vocational schools (postsecondary course of specialized training
colleges), 3) junior colleges, 4) universities (undergraduate) and 5) graduate schools.
Depending on the founding bodies, these higher education institutions are categorized into
three types: national, local public and private.
2. China

Date of Independence:

October 1, 1949

Significant Contribution

Compass

 The compass was invented by Chinese between the

2nd century BC and 1st century AD. It was first used

in Feng Shui, the layout of buildings.

Paper

 The birth of paper, as we know it today, took place

under the Chinese Han Dynasty in AD 105

Gunpowder

 Gunpowder was invented by Chinese Taoist

alchemists about 1000 A.D. when they tried to find a

potion to gain human immortality by mixing

elemental sulfur, charcoal, and saltpeter.

Educational System:

The Chinese educational structure provides for six years of primary school, three
years each of lower secondary school and upper secondary school, and four years in the
standard university curriculum. All urban schools are financed by the state, while rural
schools depend more heavily on their own financial resources.
3. Canada

Date of Independence:

April 17, 1982

Significant Contribution

Walkie Talkie

 In 1937, Donald invented a portable radio signalling

system that at first, he called a packset. Later on, he

came up with the name “walkie talkie”. He made this

for military use. Now they are used for families,

businesses, and emergency services.

Prosthetic hand

 The Prosthetic hand was invented in 1971 by

Canadian medical scientist Helmut Lucas. A prosthesis

is a device that replaces a lost limb that is no longer

available either through disease or injury.

Alkaline Battery

 The Alkaline Battery was invented by Lewis Urry in

1957. His invention today powers countless portable

electronic devices around the world, from flashlights to

cameras to computer games.

Educational System:

The educational system in Canada is generally divided into four stages: pre-
school or early childhood education; primary or elementary education; secondary
education and post-secondary or tertiary education, which includes college and university
programs and vocational/technical schooling.
4. Thailand

Date of Independence:

December 10, 1932

Significant Contribution

Polyethylene Prosthetic Leg

 The inventor, Dr Therdchai Jivacate who is an

orthopedic surgeon, has invented high-quality

prosthetic limbs to be available at a low cost.

Sriracha Sauce

 Sriracha was first produced in the Thai coastal

city of Si Racha in Chonburi Province. Sriracha

hot sauce is made from chilli peppers, distilled

vinegar, garlic, sugar and salt and is served as a

condiment, especially with seafood dishes.

Red Bull

 Chaleo Yoovidhya invented Red Bull, the world’s

best-selling energy drink, in Thailand over 40

years ago. ‘Krating Daeng’ (red gaur – an Indian

bison) was the drinks original name and is where

the drink’s slogan, ‘Red Bull gives you wings’,

came from.

Educational System:

The Thai Education system consists of 12 year free basic education: 6 years of
“Prathom” (primary education, P1 to P6) and 6 years of “Mattayom” (secondary education,
M1 to M6). Enrolment in the basic education system begins at the age of 6.
5. Taiwan

Date of Independence:

October 10, 1949

Significant Contribution

Asus

 ASUS Computer is a Taiwanese multinational

computer, phone hardware and electronics

manufacturer headquartered in Beitou District,

Taipei, Taiwan.

Floating Gate Transistor

 In 1967, Simon Min Sze and Dawon Kahng

invented the floating gate transistor, which

provides the foundation for many forms of

semiconductor memory devices.

Xiaoluren

 Xiaoluren "Little Green Man" or "Pedestrian

Countdown Display" was invented on 1998. It can

refer to any pedestrian traffic lights, but most often

the animated traffic light system originally from

Taiwan.

Educational System:

In Taiwan’s current education system, students may study for up to 20 years,

which includes six years of primary education, three years of junior high school, three
years of senior secondary school, four years of higher education, one to four years for a
master’s degree, and two to seven years for a doctoral degree.

6. New Zealand

Date of Independence:

November 25, 1947

Significant Contribution

Asus

 AJ Hackett developed a strong, super-stretchy

elastic bungy cord and opened the world's first

commercial bungy operation opened at the

Kawarau Bridge in November 1988.

Floating Gate Transistor

 New Zealand referee William Atack became the

first sports referee in the world to use a whistle to

stop a game in 1884. It was soon adopted all over

the country and then world.

Disposable Hypodermic Syringe

 Pharmacist and veterinarian Colin Murdoch

designed and patented the disposable hypodermic

syringe, being aware of the risks of infection of

glass syringes. It was adopted and used by

millions around the world.

Educational System:

The education system in New Zealand implements a three-tier model which

includes primary and intermediate schools, followed by secondary schools (high schools)
and by tertiary education at universities and polytechnics. There are 13 ‘Years’ in the New
Zealand school structure. The ‘Year’ denotes how long a child has been at school

7. Singapore

Date of Independence:

August 9, 1965

Significant Contribution

ThumbDrive: USB Storage Device

 The question of who invented USB technology is

contentious but it was Singaporean company Trek

2000 International founded by Henn Tan that

created the first commercially available USB

storage device – the ThumbDrive.

Mini-DNA sequencing machine

 In 2016, Illumina in Singapore introduced a mini

version of the DNA sequencing machine known as

MiniSeq. This benchtop machine can generate

between 7 to 25 million reads per run.

Twoplus Sperm Guide

 The Twoplus Sperm Guide is a soft, biocompatible

silicone device that can potentially enhance the

chances of conceiving. Singaporeans Benjamin Tee

and Prusothman Raja developed the concept.

Educational System:
 Singapore's educational system consists of six years of primary school, four to five
years of secondary school, and one to three years of post-secondary education.
Preschool, often known as nursery school or kindergarten, is a non-mandatory service
provided by the Ministry of Education Singapore and private operators.

8. Australia

Date of Independence:

March 3, 1986

Significant Contribution

Black Box Flight Recorder

 The black box flight recorder has helped make

commercial air travel the world’s safest form of travel

and was invented by Australian scientist Dr David

Warren.

Electronic Pacemaker

 Australian doctor Mark Lidwill and physicist Edgar

Booth developed the first artificial pacemaker in the

1920s. Now, more than three million people

worldwide rely on pacemakers to keep their hearts

beating properly.

Electric Drill

 In 1889, Australian electrical engineer Arthur James

Arnot patented the world’s first electric drill with his

colleague William Brain. The invention was originally

designed to drill rock and dig coal.

Educational System:

Australia’s education system comprises primary, secondary, and tertiary levels,

where “school education” refers to primary and secondary education, and tertiary
education refers to postsecondary education. It includes higher (university level) education
and Vocational Education and Training.

9. USA

Date of Independence:

July 4, 1776

Significant Contribution

Vacuum Cleaner

 Originally calling his invention a “carpet sweeper”,

Iowan Daniel Hess received a patent for the first

vacuum cleaner on July 10, 1860. It generates

suction with an elaborate bellows system.

Jeans

 Jacob Davis was a Latvian-Jewish American

immigrant who is credited with inventing jeans. Using

a heavy, plain woven cotton fabric called “duck cloth”

supplied by Levi Strauss & Co of San Francisco, he

reinforced the weak stress points with copper rivets.

Assembly Line

 Ransom Olds is credited as being the first to use a

stationary production line to build the world’s first

mass-produced automobile, the Oldsmobile Curved

 Dash in 1901.

Educational System:

USA education system follows the K-12 system, which stands for ‘Kindergarten to
12th ‘and is further broken into elementary(K-5), middle school (Grades 6-8) and high
school or secondary education (Grades 9-12). After school completion, students may
decide to enroll in a college or a university. This stage has been coined as higher
education.

10. South Korea

Date of Independence:

August 15, 1945

Significant Contribution

Dot Pad

 The Dot Pad is an assistive technology device for

users who are blind or have low vision. Its versatile

multi-line tactile display is a world first, according to

creators Dot Inc.

ScreenX

  ScreenX provides the world’s first 270-degree

panoramic cinematic experience by expanding the

screen onto the side walls of the theatre and the

technology has been adopted around the world.

 FINEX

 FINEX is a cleaner, cheaper, and quicker steel

smelting method, invented to address

environmental issues and remove the need for

expensive, scarce high-quality coal.

Educational System:

Korean education system uses a 6-3-3-4 single ladder system - six years in
elementary school, three years each in middle school and high school, and four years in
university. All citizens have equal access to education based on their ability regardless of
their social status or position.

11. Spain

Date of Independence:

October 12, 1492

Significant Contribution

Beret

 The traditional beret, or boina, is one of the oldest

Spanish inventions. This flat-crowned hat was

developed to protect herders from the cold and rain

that is common in the lush mountainous regions in the

north of Spain. 
 Spacesuit

 The first spacesuit was invented in 1935 by Colonel

Emilio Herrera de Hinares, who created it in

preparation for a trip to the stratosphere on an

aerostatic balloon.

Mop

 Mop was invented by aeronautic engineer Manuel

Jalón Corominas in 1964 by making the head of the

mop circular and by incorporating a cage with which to

squeeze out the excess liquid into the water bucket.

Educational System:

Spain’s education system comprises ten years of schooling and consists of the
following: Primary education, provided in primary schools. It consists of six academic
years, normally between the ages of 6 and 12. Compulsory Secondary Education (ESO),
which is provided in secondary schools between the ages of 12 and 16.

12. Italy

Date of Independence:

June 2, 1946

Significant Contribution

Radio

 Italian inventor Guglielmo Marconi is credited with

the invention of the radio in the late 19th century.

The radio enabled us to listen to news, music, and

stories from around the globe.

 Bank

 The modern banking system traces its origins to

Italy, where Giovanni Bicci de’Medici of the Medici

family founded the first bank in the 14th century.

Telephone

 Antonio Meucci developed the first working

prototype of the telephone in the 19th century.and

laid the groundwork for today’s telecommunication

networks, connecting people across the globe.

Educational System:

Education in Italy is compulsory from 6 to 16 years of age, and is divided into five
stages: kindergarten (scuola dell'infanzia), primary school (scuola primaria or scuola
elementare), lower secondary school (scuola secondaria di primo grado or scuola media
inferiore), upper secondary school (scuola secondaria di secondo grado or scuola media
superiore) and university (università).

13. Switzerland

Date of Independence:

September 12, 1848

Significant Contribution

Swiss Army Knife

 The Swiss Army Knife is one of the most famous

Swiss inventions, created by Karl Elsener way

back in 1891.

The Red Cross

 The Red Cross is another famous Swiss invention

founded in the 19th century by Henry Dunant and

was created for the purpose of providing help to

victims of armed conflict.

World Wide Web

 Swiss national, Tim Berners Lee invented the

World Wide Web in 1989 while he worked at CERN

as a computer scientist. It is an open source of

information that would be available to everyone.

Educational System:

The structure of Switzerland’s educational system begins with primary education

(a sort of kindergarten), then a lower secondary education followed by an upper secondary
education, which may even include vocational training. The highest level, tertiary level
education, is university level or higher education.

14. Russia
 Date of Independence:

June 12, 1990

Significant Contribution

Helicopter

 Kiev born Igor Sikorsky was an aviation pioneer

who designed the world’s first mass-produced

helicopter in 1942 and comprises a single main

rotor and a single tail rotor, which remains the

most popular design in use today.

Synthetic Rubber

 Russian chemist Sergei Lebedev invented the

first commercially viable version of rubber

material in the early 20th century.

Tetris

 Alexey Pajitnov invented Tetris in Russia, which

uses varying shapes made up of four squares,

takes its name from ‘tetra’, the Greek word for

‘four’, and ‘tennis’.

Educational System:

Russia’s eleven-year school term is split into elementary (years 1–4), middle
(years 5–9), and senior (years 10–11) classes. The absolute majority of children attend full
programme schools providing eleven-year education; schools limited to elementary or
elementary and middle classes typically exist in rural areas.
15. Netherlands

Date of Independence:

May 5, 1814

Significant Contribution

Microscope

 Dutch Father-Son team, Hans and Zaccharias

Jansen, invented the microscope in the 1590s.

The original prototype, which magnified between

three and nine times an object’s size, was used

primarily as a novelty item.

Eye Test

 Herman Snellen invented the original eye test in

1862. A modern version of this letter chart is still

used to diagnose vision problems today.

Wifi

 Dutch Network scientists Victor Hayes and Cees

Links laid the basis for WaveLAN, which would

later become Wi-Fi in Nieuwegein.

Educational System:

The education system in the Netherlands begins with kindergarten and, by the
age of four or five, children have moved to Stage 1 -elementary school- where they will
spend the next seven to eight years. Full-time education is compulsory from 5-16, and
from 16-18 young people must attend some form of school for at least two days a week.
16. India

Date of Independence:

August 15, 1947

Significant Contribution

Zero

 Hindu astronomer and mathematician named

Aryabhata was the first person to create a symbol for

zero and it was through his efforts, that mathematical

operations like addition and subtraction started using

zero.

Cataract surgery

 The first cataract surgery was performed by the ancient

Indian physician Sushruta, way back in the 6th century

BCE. To remove the cataract from the eyes, he pushed

the lens and used a curved needle to remove it.

Leprosy Medical Treatment

 Indian scientist Shantaram Yawalkar and his

colleagues formulated a combined therapy using

rifampicin and dapsone, intended to mitigate bacterial

resistance.

Educational System:

The school system in India has four levels: lower primary (age 6 to 10), upper
primary (11 and 12), high (13 to 15) and higher secondary (17 and 18). The lower primary
school is divided into five “standards”, upper primary school into two, high school into
three and higher secondary into two.
17. Germany

Date of Independence:

May 23, 1949

Significant Contribution

Electron Microscope

 In the year 1931, famous German physicist Ernst

Ruska with a German electrical engineer Max

Knoll designed the first-ever electron microscope

which can view tiny matter like atoms through the

electron microscope.

Printing Press

 Printing press technology was invented by

Johannes Gutenberg in the year 1456. It allowed

the metal alloy to melt and cool down very quickly

and to create long-lasting oil-type ink.

Glider

 Otto Lilienthal became the first flier in history with

his glider in 1894, thanks to his groundbreaking

research on artificial wings and his superb

craftsmanship.

Educational System:
 The German education system consists of preschool, primary, secondary, and
tertiary education. Full-time schooling is compulsory at primary and secondary levels for
all children aged six to 15. However, German education generally lasts until the age of 18.

18. Egypt

Date of Independence:

February 28, 1922

Significant Contribution

Cosmetic Makeup

 The Egyptian invented eye makeup as far back as

4000 B.C. They combined soot with a lead mineral

called galena to create a black ointment known as

kohl. They also made green eye makeup by

combining malachite with galena to tint the

ointment.

Surgical Instruments

 The Edwin Smith Papyrus shows the Egyptians

invented medical surgery. It describes 48 surgical

cases of injures of the head, neck, shoulders,

breast and chest.

Calendar

 The Egyptians devised the solar calendar by

recording the yearly reappearance of Sirius (the

Dog Star) in the eastern sky and had 365 days and

12 months with 30 days in each month and an

 additional five festival days at the end of the year

Educational System:

The Egypt’s education system is divided into four levels: pre-primary, from ages
four to five; primary, from six to 11 years; secondary, from 12 to 17 years; and tertiary
education, from age 18 onwards. Education is compulsory from ages six to 17.

19. France

Date of Independence:

July 14, 1789

Significant Contribution

Hair Dryer

 French hair stylist Alexandre-Ferdinand Godefroy,

invented the first hair dryer in 1890. It was a dome

that went over the head, connected to “any

suitable sort of heater" such as a chimney pipe or

a gas stove.

Stethoscope

 Frenchman René Laënnec invented the

stethoscope.He create a tube with a funnel at one

end, to listen to a patient's heart and lungs. The

stethoscope later evolved into its modern form,

using Laënnec's basic principles.

 Photography

 The first photograph was made in 1822 by French

inventor Nicéphore Niépce, in a process that

required many hours of exposure time.

Educational System:

The French education system consists of three stages: primary education,

secondary education, and higher education. Most French elementary and secondary
schools, as well as a large number of universities, are public institutions that have highly
centralized administrations.
20. Philippines

Date of Independence:

July 4, 1946

Significant Contribution

Two-way videophone

 The two-way videophone was invented in 1955 by

Filipino physicist and engineer Gregorio Zara. He

was conferred the "Tres Honorable," the first

Filipino to receive that honor.

Karaoke Machine

 In 1975, Filipino Roberto del Rosario invent and

patented the karaoke sing-along machine, which is

a Japanese concept featuring a person singing

along a recorded accompaniment.

 Microchips

 Dado Banatao invented the PC chipset and the

Windows Graphics accelerator chip, both of which

are still used in computers today.

Educational System:

The educational system in the Philippines has a 6-4-4 structure, that is, six years
of elementary or primary education (some private schools require seven years), four years
of high school or secondary education, and another four years of higher education for a
degree program.