Inventions Facts for Kids
Genius facts about great inventions
Crayola crayons have been around since 1903. The first box had just eight colours: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, brown, and black.
The first practical microphone was invented by Emile Berliner in 1876. It was originally designed as a telephone transmitter, but it changed the world of music and broadcasting.
The implantable heart pacemaker was invented by accident in 1958. Engineer Wilson Greatbatch used the wrong resistor in a circuit and noticed it produced rhythmic electrical pulses — perfect for keeping a heart beating steadily.
Before electric refrigerators became common in the 1930s, people kept food cold using iceboxes — wooden cabinets filled with blocks of ice delivered to their homes.
The artificial sweetener saccharin was discovered in 1879 when chemist Constantin Fahlberg forgot to wash his hands after working in the lab and noticed his dinner tasted unusually sweet.
The first commercial drone delivery took place in 2016 in the United States. The small aircraft carried a package of sweets and a first-aid kit to a customer's garden.
CRISPR gene-editing technology was inspired by a natural defence system that bacteria use to fight viruses. It allows scientists to precisely cut and edit DNA sequences, revolutionising medicine and biology.
The modern ballpoint pen was invented by Hungarian brothers Laszlo and Georg Biro in 1938. In many countries, people still call ballpoint pens 'biros' after them.
The first contact lenses, made in the late 1800s, were crafted from blown glass and covered the entire eye. Modern soft lenses only appeared in the 1970s.
The first known vending machine was described in ancient Egypt around 215 BCE. When a coin was inserted, it dispensed holy water at a temple!