10 Things Made By Women Inventors That You Must Know

A brilliant student whose passion for physics changed the world, Marie Curie is one of the most distinguished scientists in history!

With an incredible knowledge of chemistry and X-Ray technology, Rosalind Franklin’s work in unravelling the mysteries of the DNA was path-breaking!

An ambitious rocket scientist, whose immaculate planning took India to Mars, Nandini Harinath is an inspiration for generations to come!

These are prominent women who have played an integral role in advancing science through their amazing achievements. This National Science Day, let’s celebrate women in science and learn about how their inventions impact our everyday life!

1.The Aquarium – Jeanne Villepreux-Power 1832
Isn’t it fun to observe fish swimming in beautiful aquariums filled with bubbles and colourful pebbles? Well, you have the French marine biologist, Jeanne Villepreux-Power to thank for that! She invented the aquarium in the 19th century to study fish!

2. Monopoly/Business (Game) – Elizabeth Magie 1904
Remember playing Monopoly (also called “Business”) with your cousins during the summer holidays? The thrill of buying a place, getting the “escape” card from jail, and the endless quarrels about paying rent make this game a classic! Initially called the “Landowner’s Game”, game designer Elizabeth Magie invented this game in the USA to teach people about economics!

3. Caller ID on phones – Dr Shirley Ann Jackson 1970
Imagine getting a phone call and not knowing who is calling because you can’t see the incoming call number. That’s how phones used to be! (Click here to read about the evolution of telephones). It was only because of the research done by physicist Dr Shirley Ann Jackson in the 70s that we enjoy the Caller ID feature on phones today!

4. Medical syringe – Letitia Geer 1899
While we’re all a little scared of injections during a visit to the doctor, the medical syringe is an important device that helps save lives! The syringe was first patented by Letitia Geer, an American nurse, which ended up changing the course of medicine!

5. Windshield Wipers – Mary Anderson 1903
People started driving cars in the 1800s but it was only in 1903 that the first windshield wiper was invented! Real estate developer Mary Anderson realised the danger of driving with rain and snow obscuring the windshield of the car and invented the manual wiper that would clear the screen with a pull of a lever.

6. Chocolate Chip Cookies – Ruth Wakefield 1930
A crumbly, buttery biscuit with little flecks of chocolate – who doesn’t like a chocolate chip cookie! But did you know that American chef Ruth Wakefield invented the chocolate chip cookie by accident? With an original plan to make a chocolate biscuit, Ruth realised that the bits of chocolate added to the batter never melted after baking, and now we have this delicious accident to enjoy with milk!

7. Foot-pedal on dustbin – Lillian Moller Gilbreth early 1900s
A dustbin with a pedal at the bottom lets you throw away waste without having to bend down and remove the lid. Lillian Gilbreth, an industrial engineer, made this time-saving invention to make working easier in her kitchen!

8. Ice cream maker – Nancy Johnson 1843
Now, this is one invention that we are all thankful for! Nancy Johnson, an inventor, made the first manual ice cream maker even before the first freezer was invented. However, this ice cream maker could only make two flavours of ice cream. But we think two flavours of ice cream are better than no ice cream. Do you agree?

9. Paper bag – Margaret Knight 1868
This environment-friendly invention was made back in the 1800s! Margaret Knight was a worker in a mill when she invented the machine that can make paper bags with a flat bottom. This made paper bags a viable option to carry things in. (Click here to learn how to re-cycle).

10. Dishwasher – Josephine Cochrane 1886
While many others who tried making a dishwasher, Josephine Cochrane, an inventor, was the first one to make a dishwasher that worked! Josephine realised that you didn’t need fancy techniques to wash dishes. All you need is high water pressure that can remove the leftover food from the dishes! Now that’s a eureka moment!

Isn’t this one fascinating list!

Women inventors have contributed a lot to the world of science and their work has literally changed the way we live! This National Science Day, we encourage more girls to take up a career in science!

If you could invent one thing to make your life simpler, what would it be?

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