Inventing America

<p>Episode Title: The Machine That Spit Money Topic: Donald Wetzel – Designer of the modern ATM interface Summary: Donald Wetzel helped invent the first American ATM interface, bringing banking into the modern age. From...

<p>Episode Title: The Fever and the Freeze Topic: John Gorrie – Inventor of the mechanical ice machine and early air conditioning Summary: John Gorrie, a 19th-century Florida physician, invented the first mechanical...

<p>Episode Title: The Sculptor of Extinction Topic: Carl Akeley – Inventor of modern taxidermy and museum habitat dioramas Summary: Carl Akeley revolutionized museum exhibits by inventing lifelike taxidermy techniques...

<p>Philo Remington didn’t invent the typewriter—but he turned it into a revolution. By applying industrial scale and visionary marketing to an awkward prototype, he helped launch the modern office and the global rise of...

<p>Episode Title: The Wringer Topic: Ellen Eglin – Inventor of the clothes-wringer Summary: Ellen Eglin, a Black laundress in 19th-century Washington, D.C., invented the clothes-wringer—a device that changed domestic...

<p>Episode 5 – "The Glass That Lasted"</p><p><br /></p><p>In 1858, a tinsmith named John Landis Mason patented a humble glass jar with a screw-top lid—a design so perfect it would outlive him by centuries. The Mason jar...

<p>Lewis Temple, a 19th-century Blacksmith in New Bedford, Massachusetts, invented the toggle harpoon that revolutionized American whaling. Though he never patented it, his design became the industry standard. This...

<p>Summary: In 1830, Thaddeus Fairbanks invented the platform scale, revolutionizing how goods were weighed in industries from shipping to agriculture. This episode explores how his design brought fairness, speed, and...

<p>In 1809, Mary Dixon Kies became the first woman in the United States to be granted a patent. Her invention—a method for weaving straw with silk—boosted America’s hatmaking industry at a critical time. This episode...

<p>Long before the Industrial Revolution swept across America, Oliver Evans designed and built the first automated factory. This episode explores how one Delaware inventor reimagined labor, created machines that moved...

<p>Stephanie Kwolek’s accidental discovery of Kevlar changed protective technology forever. This episode traces her quiet path from a lab experiment to a life-saving innovation, and how her work became essential to...

<p>Forrest Bird’s inventions in respiratory technology transformed emergency medicine and neonatal care. A pilot-turned-inventor, he built devices that continue to save lives every day. This episode explores his...

<p>Richard Drew invented both masking tape and transparent adhesive tape—two everyday items that revolutionized painting, packaging, and repair. This episode explores how a quiet 3M engineer stuck with an idea and...

<p>Norman Breakey’s paint roller changed how we decorate our homes, yet he made almost nothing from it. This episode explores how one overlooked invention revolutionized work, design, and everyday life—quietly.</p>

<p>Mary Golda Ross broke barriers as a Cherokee woman in top-secret aerospace engineering. Her work on spaceflight trajectories and missile systems was hidden for decades. This episode highlights her role in building...