Air Brakes, Traffic Light, Tape Measure, Pipe Wrench

George Westinghouse was born in New York in 1846. He joined the army during the Civil War. He left the army in 1864 and then he joined the navy. He invented the Airbrake system for trains in 1864. The system was made up of a tank, valve, and piping. The shoes must be operated at the same time. Steam posted drives brake shoes against the wheel. He built a demonstration model. He took some really wealthy people on a train with the air brake to demonstrate it. A horse-drawn wagon was on the train tracks. The brakes saved the day.

Before cars, there were horse-drawn wagons. Confusion of which side of the street to travel on. People started getting run over by the 1700s. J. P. Night was born in England in 1828. He was a talented railroad traffic manager. He improved passenger trips. 1100 people were killed in traffic accidents in London in 1868. He invented the Traffic Light in 1868. It created order by making rules. Three light colors control traffic: green, red, and yellow. Computers were linked to the lights in the 1950s. They save many lives everywhere.

The folding ruler was invented in 1851. Alvin J. Fellows was born in Connecticut. A spring tape measurer was invented in England. Used for surveying, Fellows improved this measurer. He invented the tape measurer in 1868. Some heavy-duty ones were made for construction. They were lined up with demarcations. Improved models sold to Stanley in the 1920s. 

Daniel Stillson was born in New Hampshire in 1826. He developed the pipe wrench in 1869. Designed to grip pipes, Stillson sold his patent and made $800,000 in his lifetime. It helped build the Alaskan pipeline.

Dynamite, Chuckwagon, Typewriter II, Ticker Tape

Alfred Nobel was born in Sweden in 1833. His father made weapons for the Russian Tsar. His father experimented with explosives. His little brother was killed in an explosion. He invented Dynamite in 1867. Useful in construction sights, it spread to the mining industry. He grew rich. It led to the development of more powerful bombs.

Charles Goodnight was born in Illinois in 1836. He had about three siblings. He became a cowboy. He helped fight the Commanche Indians. In 1857, he joined the Texas Rangers. He invented the Chuckwagon in 1866. The chuckwagon was a kitchen on wheels that gave rise to marshals and sheriffs. He inspired Westerns.

Christopher Latham Sholes was born in Pennsylvania in 1819, tried inventing the typesetting machine. He invented the modern typewriter in 1967. He desired to easily print page numbers. People can type faster than they can write with their hands. The 1967 prototype secured investors. Sholes began incorporating other types from other models. The 1878 model added lower case letters and led to the QWERTY keyboard. Women entered the workforce as typists. 

Edward Calahan was born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1838. Calahan invented Tickertape in 1867. Tickertape is a narrow piece of paper with stock information printed on it. It clicks as it prints. Calahan's idea made better by other inventors including Thomas Edison in 1871. It helped create the ticker-tape parade. The ticker-tape could not keep up with the massive trading volume.

Roller Skates, Barbed Wire, Cowboy Hat, Pasteurization

James Leonard Plimpton invented the modern rollerskates in 1863. Rollerskates are just shoes on wheels. Plimpton's 4-wheel creation was safer than ice skating. He built a roller skating kink in 1866. He rented his skates and competed over 300 patent lawsuits. Renewed popularity in the 1970s with Disco music. It led to the skateboard in the 1950s.

Michael Kelly invented barbed wire in 1868. Barbed wire can control big cattle. Simple and cheap to get, it can last 10-20 years. It made it possible to control large land and is the best way to fence in cattle. Joseph Gidden invented a stronger type in 1873. He used public demonstrations and built a large ranch. It was also used in trench warfare in World War I. It was also used in prison camps.

John B. Stetson was born in New Jersy in 1830. His dad was a hatter. He made hats with his dad. One day, he went west and took notice of hats. The coonskin caps had flaws. There were many different types of hats. He invented the cowboy hat in 1865. Wide brim provided multiple benefits. They were made of waterproof fur felt. It's also useful as a cup for your horse.

Louis Pasteur was born in France in 1822. He went to elementary school in 1831, when he was 9. He drew portraits of his family. He became a chemistry professor. He asked to investigate why wine was turning sour. Pasteurization was developed to stop food and drinks from spoiling. Extended to milk in the 1880s by a German Chemist. 51 laws passed in the 1990s required pasteurized milk. Most milk is pasteurized milk.

Postcard, Gatling Gun, Linoleum, Ratcheting Wrench

The postcard concept appeared in 1861 in the U.S. John P. Charlton patented the idea. He had help from Hymen Lipman inventor of the pencil eraser. The postcard is simple and useful. It is a front and back rectangular card. It spread to England in 1870. The Eiffel Tower was a popular postcard. Some people collect postcards. 

The Cannon was the most powerful weapon in the 1800s. The volley gun fires multiple cannonballs at once. Richard Gatling was born in North Carolina in 1818. He taught school for a while. When he was 36, he moved to Saint Louis. He became a doctor. The Civil War provided his source of inspiration. He wanted to save lives by lessening the amount of soldiers needed on the battlefield. He invented the Gatling Gun in 1861. It's a rapid firing, multi-barrel gun. The modern Gatling gun can fire about 4,000 rounds in a minute. He demonstrated the gun in live combat.

Fredrick Walton was born in England in 1834. He patented linoleum in 1863. Linoleum is a durable floor covering. It can be imprinted with decorative designs. It is made out of linseed oil, combined with sawdust and cork. It was a popular floor covering until the 1950s. 

J. J. Richardson patented ratcheting wrench in 1863. It allows very quick tightening. Easier to get into small spaces. Today, it is a standard technician tool. Original models sell for a lot.

Ironing Board, Internal Combustion Engine, Lever-Action Repeating Rifle, Twist Drill

Before the ironing board was invented, the kitchen table was used. The ironing board was invented in 1858. Unwrinkled clothes make a better impression than wrinkled clothes. The ironing board was improved later on. The electric ironing board was invented in 1859. Manual workers have wrinkled clothes. Home ironing is a much easier task. It is a massive time saver.

Etienne Lenoir was born in Belgium in 1822. He grew interested in electricity. He used sparks to make an internal combustion engine in 1859. Nicolaus Otto invented the 4-stroke engine in 1879. Ford was founded in 1901. It led to the jet engine. it is used in lawn equipment. It led to the truck driving industry. It's changed our world. From every day driving to vacations, to keeping stores full with food.

The 18th-century rifle was a revolution of the arquebus, the first gun fired from a shoulder. Benjamin Robins discovered bullets shape accuracy. The minie ball appeared in the 19th century. Benjamin Tyler Henry was born in New Hampshire in 1821. He was an apprentice as a young man. He worked for Smith & Wesson. They were a gun maker. They invented the Hunt's lever-action rifle concept. They made the lever-action repeating rifle in 1860. Some were used in the Civil War. It became famous as the "gun that won the West".

Steven A. Morse invented the Twist Drill in 1861. Drill bits are tools for cutting. Wood bits and metal bits have different tips. Morse moved to Massachusetts. He built a two-story factory in 1875. He wold them all over the world. It was used to carve Mt. Rushmore.