Inventions & Innovations

1914 & 1923 · Garrett Morgan

Gas Mask & Traffic Signal

Garrett Morgan invented a safety hood (gas mask) that saved lives in a 1916 tunnel disaster and later patented a three-position traffic signal that made roads safer for everyone.

1940 · Charles Drew

Blood Bank

Dr. Charles Drew pioneered methods for processing and storing blood plasma, creating the first large-scale blood bank that saved countless lives during World War II and beyond.

July 10, 1893 · Daniel Hale Williams

Open-Heart Surgery

Dr. Daniel Hale Williams performed one of the first successful open-heart surgeries in history, saving a stabbing victim by repairing the pericardium around his heart.

1881 · Lewis Latimer

Carbon Filament for the Light Bulb

Lewis Latimer invented the carbon filament that made electric light bulbs practical and long-lasting, and helped draft the patent for Alexander Graham Bell's telephone.

October 11, 1887 · Alexander Miles

Automatic Elevator Doors

Alexander Miles patented automatic opening and closing elevator doors, eliminating the dangerous manual shaft doors that caused injuries and deaths.

July 12, 1940 · Frederick McKinley Jones

Refrigerated Truck

Frederick McKinley Jones invented the first practical automatic refrigeration system for trucks, transforming the food industry and making fresh food available across the country.

April 26, 1892 · Sarah Boone

Ironing Board

Sarah Boone patented an improved ironing board with a narrow, curved design that made it easier to press garments, especially sleeves and the bodies of women's clothing.

August 1, 1966 · Marie Van Brittan Brown

Home Security System

Marie Van Brittan Brown invented the first home security system with a camera, monitor, two-way microphone, and remote-controlled door lock — the basis for modern home security.

1964 · Otis Boykin

Pacemaker Control Unit

Otis Boykin invented an improved electrical resistor and a control unit for the pacemaker, making the life-saving heart device more precise, reliable, and affordable.

1988 · Patricia Bath

Cataract Laserphaco Probe

Dr. Patricia Bath invented the Laserphaco Probe for cataract surgery, becoming the first African American woman doctor to receive a medical patent and restoring sight to people worldwide.

1990 · Lonnie Johnson

Super Soaker

NASA engineer Lonnie Johnson accidentally invented the Super Soaker while working on a heat pump, creating one of the best-selling toys of all time and earning over $1 billion in sales.

July 14, 1885 · Sarah E. Goode

Folding Cabinet Bed

Sarah E. Goode became the first African American woman to receive a U.S. patent for her folding cabinet bed, a space-saving design for small city apartments.

1981 · Mark Dean

3D Graphics Technology (IBM PC)

Mark Dean co-invented the IBM personal computer and held three of IBM's original nine PC patents, later leading the team that created the first gigahertz processor chip.

May 9, 1899 · John Albert Burr

Improved Lawn Mower

John Albert Burr patented an improved rotary blade lawn mower with traction wheels that could mow closer to edges and was less likely to clog, revolutionizing lawn care.

1988 · Jesse Russell

Cellular Phone Technology

Jesse Russell pioneered digital cellular technology at AT&T Bell Labs, holding key patents that made modern cell phones possible and earning him recognition as the 'father of the digital cell phone.'