Inventors

Shigeichi Negishi (1923–2024), inventor of karaoke 

Shigeichi Negishi was a Japanese engineer who invented the world’s first commercially available karaoke machine, the Sparko Box.

Gerald McGinnis (1934–2024), inventor of the CPAP machine

Gerald E. “Jerry” McGinnis was a biomedical engineer who invented the CPAP machine and founded several medical technology companies, including Respironics and Lanz Medical Products.

Dennis Austin (1947–2023), PowerPoint co-creator

Dennis Austin was a software developer who co-created the slideshow software PowerPoint. 

Virginia Norwood (1927-2023), physicist, “Mother of Landsat”

Virginia Norwood invented the multispectral scanner that allows us to take detailed images of Earth from orbit. An integral part of the Landsat 1 satellite, the technology paved the way for the satellite scanners providing imagery of Earth to this day. She is known as the “Mother of Landsat” thanks to her breakthrough.

Morris Tanenbaum (1928–2023), inventions led to medical imaging tech

Morris Tanenbaum was an innovative thinker in the world of science and technology, helping the legendary Bell Labs make several technological leaps forward in the 1950s and 1960s. They include spearheading the creation of the first silicon transistor and gas-infused silicon transistor, and helping lead the team that invented the first high-field superconducting magnets. That advancement eventually led to the invention of today’s cutting edge medical imaging devices.

Jim Fosgate (1937–2022), inventor of the first car stereo amplifier

Jim Fosgate was an inventor and engineer who created the first car stereo amplifier.

Ali Ahmed Aslam (1945–2022), Chicken Tikka Masala inventor

Ali Ahmed Aslam was a restaurant owner in Glasgow, Scotland who was credited with inventing the popular Indian dish Chicken Tikka Masala.

Don Lewis (1941–2022), legendary synth pioneer 

Don Lewis was a legendary synth player who worked with Quincy Jones and Michael Jackson and who invented the Live Electronic Orchestra, the inspiration for MIDI.

Maurice Kanbar (1929–2022), creator of Skyy Vodka and the sweater defuzzer

Maurice Kanbar was an inventor and entrepreneur whose creations included Skyy Vodka and the D-Fuzz-It device for sweaters.

Nick Holonyak Jr. (1928–2022), LED inventor

Nick Holonyak Jr. was an inventor who created the first practical visible-spectrum LED, now used in applications from light bulbs to traffic signals to medical devices.

Rommy Revson (1944–2022), inventor of the scrunchie

Rommy Revson patented the ubiquitous hair tie now known as the scrunchie.

Clayton Jacobson II (1933–2022), Jet Ski trailblazer

Clayton Jacobson II was credited with inventing a personal motorized watercraft that would later become known as the Jet Ski.   

E. Bryant Crutchfield (1937–2022), Trapper Keeper inventor 

E. Bryant Crutchfield  was the inventor of the Trapper Keeper, a binder with folders inside that was extremely popular with middle school and high school students in the 1980s.  

Dave Smith (1950–2022), synthesizer pioneer

Dave Smith was an engineer known as the “Father of MIDI” for his innovations in electronic instruments.

Masayuki Uemura (1943–2021), Nintendo NES and Super NES creator

Masayuki Uemura was a Japanese video game producer who created the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and Super NES home gaming systems.

Tom Morey (1935–2021), Boogie Board inventor

Tom Morey was a surfer and surfboard shaper who invented the Boogie Board.

Charles Cummings (1930–2021), Easy-Bake Mini-Wave Oven inventor

Charles Cummings was a toy inventor who created the Baby Alive doll and the Easy-Bake Mini-Wave Oven.

Clive Sinclair (1940–2021), personal computing pioneer

Clive Sinclair was an English inventor who helped revolutionize the computer industry with his creation of the first home computer available for less than $200.

Reuben Klamer (1922–2021), creator of the Game of Life

Reuben Klamer was a toy and game inventor who created the Game of Life for Milton Bradley.

Ron Popeil (1935–2021), Ronco founder and infomercial pitchman

Ron Popeil was the founder of Ronco and an inventor known for his informercials for products like the Veg-O-Matic and the Pocket Fisherman.

Spencer Silver (1941–2021), co-inventor of Post-it Notes

Spencer Silver was a chemist who invented the adhesive used in Post-it Notes.

Isamu Akasaki (1929–2021), inventor who made LED light widely accessible

Isamu Akasaki was a Japanese physicist who was part of the Nobel Prize-winning team that developed blue LED light, a breakthrough that led to the widespread use of LED today.

Lou Ottens (1926–2021), inventor of the cassette tape

Lou Ottens was a Dutch engineer who invented the cassette tape, one of the most popular music formats of the 1970s, ‘80s, and ‘90s.

Narinder Kapany (1926–2020), physicist who co-invented fiber optics

Narinder Kapany was a physicist known as the “father of fiber optics,” who was one of the inventors of fiber optics technology.

Bob Gore (1937–2020), inventor of Gore-Tex

Robert W. “Bob” Gore was the former president and chairman of W.L. Gore & Associates, best known for inventing Gore-Tex fabric.

Arnold Spielberg (1917–2020), computer pioneer, Steven Spielberg’s dad

Arnold Spielberg was the father of movie director Steven Spielberg and a computer pioneer whose work was instrumental in the development of personal computers.

Russell Kirsch (1929–2020), inventor of the pixel

Russel Kirsch was a computer scientist credited with inventing the pixel andbeing the first to scan aadigitalaphotograph.aa

William English (1929–2020), engineer who built the first computer mouse

William English was a computer engineer who built the first computer mouse.

Bruce Baker (1943–2020), invented Minspeak for nonverbal people's AAC speech devices

Bruce Baker was the creator of Minspeak, a communication system that allows people with disabilities such as cerebral palsy or ALS to communicate verbally.

Gary Starkweather (1938–2019), inventor of the laser printer

Gary Starkweather was an engineer and inventor best known for designing the first laser printer. Starkweather was working for Xerox in 1969 when he began working on a system to transmit information from one copy machine to another. This work led to his development of the laser printer, and he was a part of the design team for the first laser printing system two years later. Within a few decades, the technology was in offices and homes across America. Later, while working for Apple, Starkweather invented color management technology, which allows color to display similarly across different devices.

Fred Cox (1938–2019), Vikings kicker co-invented Nerf football

Fred Cox, former Minnesota Vikings kicker who co-invented the Nerf football, died at his home in Monticello, Minn. On Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2019. He was 80.

Sherman Poppen (1930–2019), inventor of the Snurfer, an early snowboard

Sherman Poppen was one of the earliest originators of thesnowboard, designing a product he called the Snurfer in the late 1960s.

Fernando Corbato (1926–2019), inventor of the computer password

Fernando Corbato was a computer scientist who was a pioneer of time-sharing operating systems and introduced the first computer password as part of that work.

Gary Burrell (1937–2019), Garmin co-founder brought GPS to the masses

Gary Burrell was one of the founders of Garmin, which brought GPS technology to the general public.

Charles Sanna (1917–2019), invented Swiss Miss Cocoa

Charles Sanna invented Swiss Miss Cocoa, the first hot cocoa mix that could be made with hot water instead of milk.

Jerry Merryman (2019), pocket calculator co-inventor

Helped create the revolutionary device at Texas Instruments.

Stewart Adams (1923–2019), inventor of ibuprofen, used himself as test subject

“I always felt it was important to take the first dose.”

Dorcas Reilly (1926–2018), creator of the green bean casserole

Dorcas Reilly first created the iconic green bean casserole in 1955 while working as a staff member in the kitchen at the Campbell Soup Company. Cream of Mushroom soup was a popular base for casseroles around the country, but Reilly was the first to add frozen green beans. Campbell Soup estimates that around 40 percent of their sales of cream of mushroom soup goes towards making green bean casserole.

Glenn Snoddy (1922–2018), invented the fuzz pedal

Keith Richards famously used the pedal on "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction."

Trevor Baylis (1937 - 2018), inventor of the wind-up radio

Trevor Baylis, the British inventor of the wind-up radio who helped foster the spread of information throughout poor and remote communities, died Monday, March 5, 2018, according to The Associated Press. He was 80.

The True Story of the Chocolate Chip Cookie (video)

A video tribute to the creator of the chocolate chip cookie.

Stanley Weston (1933 - 2017), G.I. Joe co-creator

Licensing pioneer was called the Father of the G.I. Joe action figure...

Robert Hulseman (1932 - 2016), red Solo cup inventor

Robert Hulseman, the former CEO who created the iconic red Solo cup, died Dec. 21, 2016, at his home in Northfield, Illinois. He was 84.

Five Facts About Nikola Tesla

How much do you know about the man who invented the 20th century?

5 Sleuths who Paved the Way for True Detective

These five real-life detectives deserve their own TV shows.

David Warren's Black Box

Here are 10 things you might not know about flight data recorder inventor David Warren and his 'black box.'

Giving Thanks for S. Donald Stookey

Over his decades-long career as a researcher and inventor, S. Donald Stookey pioneered new technologies using glass and ceramics. He held 60 patents and helped to advance everything from eyewear to military defense systems, but this week we are giving thanks for his incredible contributions to the Thanksgiving holiday.

The Toy Story of Betty James

In the beginning it was Betty James who found the word “slinky” in a dictionary and thought it aptly described the toy her husband had invented. In the long haul, she was the one who ran the business and rejuvenated the Slinky.

Nail Polish Inventor

Wojciech Inglot invented a non-toxic, breathable nail polish that has particular meaning for Muslim women.