10 Things You Probably Didn't Know Were Invented By Women

Many of the inventions that revolutionized mankind had as main characters women. There are many important names in different areas of knowledge, some of which were only recognized decades later. Here we have selected 10 things invented by women that you should know and even use on a daily basis.

10. Beer

In the book “Beer O’Clock: An Insider’s Guide to History, Craft, and Culture”, historian and sommelier Jane Peyton reveals that beer was invented by women, more than 10,000 years ago, in Mesopotamia. According to Peyton, in general, and in the most diverse regions of the world, beer was seen as an integral part of the food. Therefore, it was also part of the so-called “domestic chores” reserved for women.

Ancient societies even considered beer to be the gift of a goddess, and never of a male god. With the Industrial Revolution, new technologies and manufacturing methods reduced the need for female participation in the making of beer. Large-scale manufacturing became possible at a time when work outside the home was almost exclusively male.

9. Computer software

Invented by : physicist Grace Murray

Known as the queen of computing, physicist Grace Murray was a systems analyst for the United States Navy between the 1940s and 1950s. Additionally, she programmed the first large-capacity computer, the Mark I. She invented Flow-Matic, the first programming language. The program used English words for data processing.

Murray’s creation was one of the biggest influences for the emergence of COBOL, the advertising language used until today. Murray was the first woman and the first American citizen to receive the title of Distinguished Fellow by the British Computer Society. The algorithm used by computers was also a female invention. Ada Lovelace, who programmed a machine with mathematical algorithms, along with scientist Charles Babbage.

8. Monopoly

Invented by : **Elizabeth “Lizzie” Magie**

The famous board game that spans generations has its origins in the feminist movement of the late 19th century. The invention of the monopoly brought about a profound change in American society. Elizabeth “Lizzie” Magie was one of the supporters of this movement.

Poet, activist, and actress, Lizzie became known for identifying herself as a “young American slave woman. Initially called “The Owners Game”. Magie’s game was a criticism of the injustices of unchecked capitalism. Ironically, her game became a hit when Charles Darrow stole his idea and sold it to Parker Brothers, 30 years later. After a while, the company finally tracked Magie and paid her USD 500 for the injustice done.

7. Fire Scape

Invented by : Anna Connelly

Anna Connelly was one of the first women to submit an idea to the patent office. The Connelly project was revolutionary in making buildings safer by adding an external staircase with platforms between levels. This design made it easier for residents to escape during fires or emergencies. Before that, people fled to the top of the burning building, which is not at all safe.

The stairs also allowed firefighters to fight fires more effectively by letting them transport water to specific areas of the structure. Her project was also a very economical strategy to improve public security. Further, as the stairs were added to the exterior of the building, there was no need for an internal and expensive renovation of the building. Her invention led to the first building codes in New York City, requiring a second means of escape for people to escape buildings in an emergency.

6. Wi-Fi

Invented by : Hedy Lamarr

Before being an inventor and star in Hollywood, Hedy Lamarr, stage name for Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler, acted in European films. At the age of 19, she was the protagonist of the first female adult scene in cinema, in the film “Ecstasy”. Lamarr, who was of Jewish origin, was also an ally of the United States during World War II and invented the basic technology of wireless communications along with the composer and also inventor George Antheil.

Cell phones, wireless networks, and GPS originated in the 1940s. Due to this, the recognition for the invention came late, only in 1997. Antheil and Lamarr received an honorable mention from the United States Government “for breaking new ground at the frontiers of electronics” and an award from the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Antheil had already died and Lamarr, who lived only with a retirement from the Actors Union, was over 80 years old.

5. Syringe

Invented by : Letitia Mumford Geer

Letitia Mumford Geer has patented the currently used syringe model, that is, a substance syringe by means of a piston. This model was invented to facilitate the work of nursing technicians and doctors during surgery. As they helped to operate with just one hand and were patented in the same year of its invention.

Geer based her model on the invention of the Frenchman Blaise Pascal, which was a more rudimentary syringe. However, paved Geer to improve the syringe today. The model facilitates the work of nursing technicians and doctors during surgery, as it can be operated on with just one hand.

4. Fiber Kevlar

Invented by : Stéphanie Kwolek

Chemist Stéphanie Kwolek, inventor of Kevlar, the main fiber used in the manufacture of bulletproof vests. Kevlar is a high-performance synthetic fiber, five times more resistant than steel. Since its arrival in the market in 1965, Kevlar has been widely used by the security forces and the Army. Additionally, Kevlar’s invention has been very helpful in the manufacture of bulletproof and attack vests with white weapons.

Kwolek, invented Kevlar while working for the chemical company DuPont in the 1960s. She planned to become a doctor. However, she could do it after getting enough money from a temporary job in the chemistry field to be able to enroll in medical school.

Furthermore, the reason for her quick hire at the time was the fact that most of the men were in World War II. The IACP-DuPont Kevlar Survivors Club, an organization formed by the chemical company and the International Association of Chiefs of Police, documented that about three thousand individuals were saved with Kevlar’s invention.

3. Apgar Scale

Invented by : Virginia Apgar

The Apgar scale was proposed and invented in 1953 by physician Virginia Apgar, initially being a quick clinical analysis of the newborn. After the changes, the scale became a standard for assessing the baby. The child’s health was recognized using the scale in a matter of five minutes with five distinct measurements. The signals are evaluated and, for each one, a score ranging from zero to two is applied.

The signs evaluated are muscle strength, heart rate, reflex, breathing, and color. The sum of these signals generates a score ranging from 0 to 10. Note 7 represents that there was a slight difficulty; grades 6 to 4, on the other hand, represent moderate difficulties; and from 0 to 3, severe difficulty. When creating the Apgar Scale, Virginia was the first professional in the medical field to draw attention to the problems arising from premature birth, one of the most important risk factors for infant mortality.

2. Liquid Paper

Invented by : Bette Nesmith Graham

Bette Nesmith Graham made a fortune with the invention of Liquid Paper. Graham never wanted to be an inventor, but she had to use her creativity to deal with typos because of her little typing experience. In the 1950s, Graham worked at Texas Bank and Trust, Dallas, as executive secretary. She gained the highest position for a woman at the time. Accustomed to using inks and due to her training as an artist, she tried to devise a product to cover the mistakes she made when typing.

For about five years, she secretly used her invention. Additionally, she made some improvements in her invention with the help of her son, who was a chemist and teacher. She finally started marketing her product under the name “Mistake Out” in 1956. The name was later changed to Liquid Paper when she started her own company. In 1979, she sold Liquid Paper to Gillette Corporation for $ 47.5 million.

1. Disposable diapers

Invented by : Marion Donovan

In 1951, Marion Donovan had the idea of joining the cloth diapers that existed at the time to a plastic liner that he called ‘Boater’. At first, this structure didn’t work out very well, but Marion didn’t give up. She opened her company and persisted in product development. At first, she used bathroom curtains to create waterproof covers, but over time the disposable diaper was improved.

Donovan patented 4 models of diapers including the use of plastic. Donovan also patented another 20 products, including the tissue box, towel dispenser, sock clamps, dental products like dental floss. Two years later her companies and patents were sold for $ 1,000,000 to the Keko Corporation. She received a BA in English from Rosemont College, Pennsylvania. She as well pursued a Master’s in Architecture from Yale University, where she was one of 3 women in her class. Finally, she worked at Harper Bazaar as a beauty editor for Vogue magazine.