<p>Inventions from the telephone to the Model T and the computer have defined human history, and inventors like Leonardo da Vinci, Nikola Tesla, Thomas Edison, Eli Whitney and Alexander Graham Bell have transformed our society.</p>


Inventions & Science

Learn about great inventors like Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein, the Wright brothers, Alexander Graham Bell and Nikola Tesla, and inventions like the cotton gin, the automobile and the internet.

Inventions and Science: Ideas and Inventors | HISTORY

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Inventions &amp; Science

HISTORY

1849

<p>Food is an integral part of human history, serving as both sustenance and a symbol of culture, trade and power. From the earliest days of hunter-gatherers to modern-day globalization, what people eat has influenced the course of history.</p>


Food

<p><a href="http://history.com/">HISTORY.com</a> works with a wide range of writers and editors to create accurate and informative content. All articles are regularly reviewed and updated by the HISTORY.com team. Articles with the “HISTORY.com Editors” byline have been written or edited by the HISTORY.com editors, including <a href="https://www.history.com/author/amanda-onion">Amanda Onion</a>, <a href="https://www.history.com/author/missy-sullivan">Missy Sullivan</a>, <a href="https://www.history.com/author/matt-mullen">Matt Mullen</a> and Christian Zapata.</p>


History.com Editors

Native Americans won U.S. citizenship in 1924, but others in the world would soon find that more difficult, due to the strict quotas of the 1924 Immigration Act. (Ironically, the Statue of Liberty, once a beacon to immigrants, became a national monument.) Walt Disney released the first cartoon from his own studio, Macy’s staged its first Thanksgiving Day parade and the first crossword puzzle book was published. In fads, Alvin “Shipwreck” Kelly set the first record for flagpole sitting: 13 hours.

1924

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October 8

1999

World War II ended in 1945, after Germany surrendered in May and Japan capitulated in August, days after powerful new atomic bombs exploded over Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Two months later, 29 nations ratified a charter to form the United Nations. Writer George Orwell coined the term “cold war,” predicting icy relations between the U.S. and U.S.S.R., while popular songs like “Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive" and “Sentimental Journey” reflected the stateside mood as some 4 million G.I.s returned home.

1945

1974 was a year of firsts. Richard Nixon, enmeshed in the Watergate scandal, became the first American president to resign from office. Hank Aaron became the first baseball player to top Babe Ruth’s career home run record. Scientists in Ethiopia found the first skeleton of a 3-million-year-old human ancestor that walked upright, while archaeologists in China unearthed an army of more than 8,000 lifesize terracotta warriors. In America, disco fever raged, and Archie Bunker broke TV sitcom ground with his blunt and bigoted take on hot-button social issues. 

1974

1905

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May 5

1868

<p>Discover what happened on June 1 with HISTORY's summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.</p>


June 1

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October 29

The turbulence of 1968 began on New Year’s Day with the Tet Offensive, shocking Americans with the unwinnable realities of the Vietnam War. The assassinations of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy darkened the national mood and deepened domestic unrest. Mass protests erupted around the globe, from Chicago to Prague to France, Mexico and beyond. In space, Apollo 8 orbited the moon, while back on earth, “Laugh-In” topped TV ratings, “Hair” premiered on Broadway and McDonald’s debuted the iconic Big Mac.

1968

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January 19

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May 7

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June 30

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<div class="p-rich_text_section">African Americans have played a central role in shaping U.S. history. From slavery and its abolition to the Great Migration, the civil rights movement and military, scientific, cultural and political achievements, explore key moments, milestones and figures in Black History.</div>
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Black History

2004

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April 10

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November 14

1911

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April 6

1832

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June 26

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Inventions & Science ‑ This Day In History

NYC’s first mass transit debuts: a horse‑drawn streetcar

World’s first aerial bomb is dropped over Libya

First electronic message is sent via internet precursor ARPANET

First patent filed for the microwave

Einstein publishes his groundbreaking theory of relativity

Pack of chewing gum becomes first‑ever item scanned with a UPC barcode

Dr. Heimlich first publishes his technique for rescuing choking victims

Marine biologist Richard Thompson coins the term “microplastics”

First BlackBerry device hits the market

Martha Jones becomes first Black woman to receive a U.S. patent

Safety pin is patented, rights sold for just $400

First successful around‑the‑world flight begins