1. Oliver Evans (1755)

American Inventor

An American inventor who created a high-pressure steam engine in 1801.

2. Eli Whitney (1765)

American Inventor

Inventor of the cotton gin, a machine that separated cotton seeds from fibers. He worked with Phineas Miller as a business partner on the production of the cotton gin.

3. Norbert Rillieux (1806)

American Inventor

Nineteenth-century engineer whose Multiple-Effect Evaporator invention promoted the sugar industry's growth by expediting the process of sugar refinement.

4. Lewis Waterman (1837)

American Inventor

New York-born entrepreneur who invented the capillary fountain pen and established the Waterman Pen Company.

5. Elihu Thomson (1853)

American Inventor

Prolific inventor who teamed up with Thomas Edison to open General Electric.

6. Granville Woods (1856)

American Inventor

'The Black Edison' who recorded over 50 patents to his name over his long career and who strived to make a safer and better public transportation system. He was the...

7. Elwood Haynes (1857)

American Inventor

A prolific inventor and industrialist, he developed some of the earliest cars and helped advance the industries to sustain them.

8. Ole Evinrude (1877)

American Inventor

Creator of one of the first internal combustion engines used for watercrafts. He also created a line of Evinrude motors.

9. Willis Carrier (1876)

American Inventor

Engineer and inventor who is credited with inventing the modern system of air conditioning. After relocating his company (Carrier) from New Jersey and Pennsylvania to New York, he became one...

10. Charles Strite (1878)

American Inventor

Inventor of the device used to toast bread, especially by exposure to electrically heated wire coils, and the first pop-up toaster.

11. Waldo Semon (1898)

American Inventor

Chemist who created the second-most common form of plastic: polyvinyl chloride - PVC, or more simply, vinyl. He won the Charles Goodyear Medal in 1944 and the Elliott Cresson Medal...

12. Frank Zamboni (1901)

American Inventor

In 1949, he invented a modern ice resurfacer vehicle that was used to clean and smooth the surface of ice rinks.

13. Arthur M. Young (1905)

American Inventor

Philosopher and helicopter pioneer who was remembered for designing Bell Helicopter's first helicopter.

14. Philo Farnsworth (1906)

American Inventor

Electrical engineer who created several key components that made the first televisions possible. His firm, the Farnsworth Television and Radio Corporation, produced his electronic television system commercially from 1938 to...

15. Benjamin Eisenstadt (1906)

American Inventor

Inventor of the Sweet'N Low artificial sweetener. He also founded the Cumberland Packing Corporation.

16. Earl Tupper (1907)

American Inventor

Famous for inventing Tupperware plastic storage containers, he established the Tupperware Plastics Company and began selling his products in the late 1930s.

17. Robert Adler (1913)

American Inventor

Austrian-born American immigrant who worked for Zenith, where he patented the remote control and numerous other items. He was awarded an Emmy by the National Academy of Television Arts and...

18. Gordon Gould (1920)

American Inventor

Scientist who fought for over thirty-eight years for recognition and credit for inventing the laser. He was elected to the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 1991.

19. Nick Holonyak (1928)

American Inventor

Inventor of the light emitting diode, who came to be called the 'father of the LED.' He has been given awards by George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, Emperor Akihito...

20. Steven Sasson (1950)

American Inventor

American electrical engineer who invented the digital camera in 1975. President Obama awarded him with the National Medal of Technology and Innovation in 2009.

21. George J. Laurer (1925)

American Inventor

George Joseph Laurer developed the Universal Product Code in 1973. As an engineer at IBM he was asked to develop the pattern used for the Universal Product Code. A 36-year...

22. Ronald A. Katz (1936)

American Inventor

Ronald A. Katz ) is an inventor and president of Ronald A. Katz Technology Licensing LP. His inventions are primarily in the field of automated call center technology. Katz has...

23. Alan Amron (1948)

American Inventor

Alan Amron is an American inventor who holds 39 United States patents.

24. Lonnie Johnson (inventor) (1949)

American Inventor

Lonnie George Johnson is an American engineer. Johnson invented the Super Soaker water gun which was the top selling toy in the United States in 1991 and 1992. Johnson holds...

25. Chip Yates (1971)

American Inventor

Chip Yates is an American inventor and electrical vehicle pioneer best known for risky record-setting feats in electric vehicles of his own design.

26. Horace Smith (inventor) (1808)

American Inventor

Horace Smith was a gunsmith inventor and businessman. He and his business partner Daniel B. Wesson formed two companies named Smith & Wesson the first of which was financed in...