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List of American Inventions and Discoveries

Last Updated : 07 Mar, 2024

America has produced the most no of scientific inventions and discoveries.

These inventions and discoveries led the foundation of modern scientific
wonders. Also, in various competitive exams, MCQ type questions are asked
from this section. So aspirants are advised to go though each invention and
their scientist to ace the section.

Check the list of American inventions and discoveries from below table.

List of American Inventions and Discoveries

Following is the list of some famous American inventions and their scientist
names.

SL Invention Scientist/Inventor Year

NO.

1 Lightning Rod Benjamin Franklin 1752

2 Submarine David Bushnell 1776

3 First U.S. Patent William Pollard 1790

4 Cotton Gin Eli Whitney 1794

5 Interchangeable Parts Eli Whitney 1797

6 Spray Gun Dr. Alan de Vilbiss 1803

7 Amphibious Vehicle Oliver Evans 1805

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 SL Invention Scientist/Inventor Year
NO.

8 Coffee Pot Benjamin Thompson (Count Rumford) 1806

9 Steamboat Robert Fulton 1807

10 Armored Warship Robert Fulton 1813

11
GK for competitive exams Plough
General Awareness for Bank ExamsJohn Jethro
Current Woods
Affairs Govt Schemes 1814 Awarenes
Financial

12 Profile Lathe Thomas Blanchard 1818

Electro-magnetic
13 Joseph Henry 1830
Motor

14 Reaping Machine McCormick Reaper 1831

15 Sewing Machine Walter Hunt, Elias Howe, Isaac Singer 1833

16 Threshing Machine John A. and Hiram Abial Pitts 1834

17 Revolver Samuel Colt 1836

18 Power Tools Thomas Davenport 1837

19 Paint Tube John Rand 1840

20 Ether Anesthesia Crawford Williamson Long 1842

21 Vulcanized Rubber Charles Goodyear 1843

22 Telegraph Samuel F.B. Morse 1844

23 False Teeth Cladius Ash 1845

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SL Invention Scientist/Inventor Year
NO.

24 Cylinder Printing Press Richard M. Hoe 1846

25 Shaving King Camp Gillette 1901

26 Air Conditioning Willis H. Carrier 1902

27 Airplane Orville and Wilbur Wright 1903

28 Model T Henry Ford 1908

29 Self Starter Charles F. Kettering 1911

30 Hydrofoil Alexander Graham Bell 1919

31 Wirephoto Western Union 1921

32 Rocket Robert H. Goddard 1926

33 Television Philo Farnsworth 1927

34 Frozen Food Clarence Birdseye 1929

35 Radio Astronomy Karl Guthe Jansky 1931

36 Defibrillator Dr. William Bennett Kouwenhoven 1932

37 Nylon Wallace H. Carothers 1938

38 Digital Computer John Atanasoff and Clifford Berry 1939

39 Jeep Karl K. Pabst 1940

40 Atomic Reaction Enrico Fermi 1942

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SL Invention Scientist/Inventor Year
NO.

J.R. Oppenheimer, Arthur H. Compton,

41 Atomic Bomb 1945
Enrico Fermi, Léo Szilard

42 Polaroid Camera Dr. Edwin H. Land 1947

43 Electric Guitar Leo Fender 1948

44 UNIVAC 1 Eckert and Mauchly Computer Co. 1951

45 Heart-lung Machine Dr. John H. Gibbon 1953

46 Polio Vaccine Dr. Albert Sabin 1957

47 Laser Theodore H. Maiman 1960

48 Operating System IBM 1964

49 Minicomputer Digital Equipment 1965

50 Moon Landing NASA 1969

51 Optical Fiber Corning Glass 1970

52 Video Game Noland Bushnell 1972

53 Microsoft Bill Gates and Paul Allen 1975

54 Super Computer Cray Research, Inc. 1976

Human-Powered
55 Dr. Paul MacCready 1979
Flight

56 Space Shuttle NASA 1981

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 SL Invention Scientist/Inventor Year
NO.

57 Artificial Heart Dr. Robert Jarvis 1982

58 PC Recognition “Time” Magazine 1983

59 Genetic Engineering USDA 1985

Graphic User Interface

60 Apple 1988
Lawsuit

Also Check

Father’s of Various Fields

List of Physics Scientists and Their Inventions
List of Famous Scientists in History

Top 10 American innovations

Bread Slicing Machine

Invented by Otto Frederick Rodwedder from Iowa.

Worked on it for over 10 years before it hit businesses in 1928.
It’s why we say “the best thing since sliced bread” for cool new ideas.

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The Internet

Started in 1969 with a message sent between two computers.

Took some time to become popular, but now it’s essential for work and
staying connected.
Billions of people use it around the world today.

GPS (Global Positioning System)

Created by the U.S. Department of Defense in 1973, combining the best of

existing satellite systems.
Wasn’t immediately impactful, but now it’s crucial for navigation
everywhere.
Helps us get around on land, sea, and air.

Post-It Notes

Spencer Silver, a chemist, discovered a unique re-stickable glue.

His colleague, Art Fry, came up with the idea to use it for bookmarks in
1974.
Now, they’re used globally for notes and reminders.

The Telephone

Invented by Alexander Graham Bell, who got the first patent in 1876 while
in Massachusetts.
Made the first successful long-distance call to his assistant.
Changed the way we communicate over distances.

The Airplane

Invented by Wilbur and Orville Wright, two bicycle mechanics interested in

flight.
Achieved the first powered flight in 1903.
Their design principles are still used in today’s airplanes.

The Light Bulb

Thomas Edison improved the light bulb to make it practical for everyday use.
Created a complete system andOpen
a successful
In App bulb in 1879.
 Changed our sleep patterns and how we light up the night.

Interchangeable Parts

Introduced by Eli Whitney, making manufacturing parts uniform.

Made mass production and assembly lines possible.
Revolutionized manufacturing, leading to faster and cheaper production.

Plastic

Charles Goodyear invented the vulcanization process in 1844, enhancing

rubber.
Paved the way for the development of various plastics.
Impacted nearly every industry and our daily lives.

Moving Pictures

William Dickson and Thomas Edison developed the Kinetograph, an early

movie camera, in 1890.
Led to the creation of movie projectors and theaters.
Started America’s dominance in the film industry and changed
entertainment.

Conclusion
The spirit of invention is profoundly embedded in the American culture,
propelling development and enriching lives worldwide. These innovations and
discoveries demonstrate the constant quest of knowledge and the ambition to
push the limits of what is possible. As we face new challenges, the legacy of
American inventiveness will definitely play an important part in defining our
future.

Read More

1. Important Inventions and Their Inventors

2. Important Inventions and Discoveries List
3. Top 20 Greatest Inventions of All Time that Changed the World
4. MCQ of Important Discoveries and Invention
5. List of Famous Scientists in History
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List of American Inventions and Discoveries – FAQs

What are the top 10 American inventions of all time?

The top 10 American inventions of all time are as follows-

Bread Slicing Machine

The Internet

Global Positioning System (GPS)

Post-It Notes

The Telephone

The Airplane

The Light Bulb

Interchangeable Parts

Who is America’s Greatest inventor?

Thomas Alva Edison is America’s Greatest inventor. Edison was an

American inventor and businessman who has been described as
America’s greatest inventor.

How do American innovations impact the global community?

American innovations often set new standards and practices that are
adopted worldwide, driving global progress and development.

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