Archive for the 'History' Category
Today in Entrepreneurial History: February 10
1863 – The fire extinguisher is patented. 1870 – The YWCA is founded in New York City. 1933 – The New York City-based Postal Telegraph Company introduces the first singing telegram. 1996 – The IBM supercomputer Deep Blue defeats Garry Kasparov for the first time.
Walter Hunt was trying to find a way to repay a debt. While nervously wrapping a wire around his finger, the idea suddenly hit. It soon became the dress pin, later known as the safety pin. It was one of many Hunt inventions, including the sewing machine, knife sharpener, a streetcar alarm bell and a [...]
Today in Entrepreneurial History: February 9
1870 – President Ulysses S. Grant signs a joint resolution of Congress establishing the U.S. Weather Bureau. 1895 – William G. Morgan creates a game called Mintonette, which soon comes to be referred to as volleyball. 1900 – The Davis Cup competition is established. 1964 – The Beatles make their first appearance on The Ed [...]
Today in Entrepreneurial History: February 8
1879 – Sandford Fleming first proposes adoption of Universal Standard Time at a meeting of the Royal Canadian Institute. 1910 – The Boy Scouts of America is incorporated by William D. Boyce. 1922 – President Warren G. Harding introduces the first radio in the White House. 1946 – The first portion of the Revised Standard [...]
Today in Entrepreneurial History: February 7
On this day in 1935, the board game Monopoly was invented by Charles Darrow. Except that it wasn’t. No way is that humble verb, invented, the beginning of the story. At this link, you can read the full story of the history of the board game Monopoly before it was “invented.”
Today in Entrepreneurial History: February 6
1815 – New Jersey grants the first Americanrailroad charter to John Stevens. 1959 – Jack Kilby of Texas Instruments files the first patent for an integrated circuit.
Today in Entrepreneurial History: February 5
1869 – The largest alluvial gold nugget in history, called the “Welcome Stranger”, is found in Moliagul, Victoria, Australia. 1909 – Belgian chemist Leo Baekeland announces the creation of Bakelite, the world’s first synthetic plastic. 1924 – The Royal Greenwich Observatory begins broadcasting the hourly time signals known as the Greenwich Time Signal or the [...]
Today in Entrepreneurial History: February 3
On this date in 1637, Tulip mania collapsed in the United Provinces (now the Netherlands) as sellers could no longer find buyers for their bulb contracts. What was tulip mania, you ask? Tulip mania was a period in the Dutch Golden Age during which contract prices for bulbs of the recently introduced tulip reached extraordinarily [...]
Today in Entrepreneurial History: February 2
1653 – New Amsterdam (later renamed The City of New York) is incorporated. 1848 – California Gold Rush: The first ship with Chinese immigrants arrives in San Francisco, California. 1876 – The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs of Major League Baseball is formed. 1887 – In Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania the first Groundhog Day is observed. [...]
Today in Entrepreneurial History: February 1
1884 – The first volume (A to Ant) of the Oxford English Dictionary is published. 1893 – Thomas A. Edison finishes construction of the first motion picture studio, the Black Maria in West Orange, New Jersey. Although it wasn’t the first dictionary, the Oxford English Dictionary was a monumental undertaking. The dictionary took more than [...]
Today in Entrepreneurial History: January 31
On this date in 1930, 3M began marketing Scotch Tape. Richard Drew, the inventor, had joined 3M in 1923 when it was still just a manufacturer of sandpaper. While testing a new sandpaper in a local auto shop, Drew learned that the two-toned paint jobs popular in the 1920s were difficult, because there was nothing [...]
Today in Entrepreneurial History: January 30
1790 – The first boat specializing as a lifeboat is tested on the River Tyne. 1820 – Edward Bransfield sights the Trinity Peninsula and claims the discovery of Antarctica. 1826 – The Menai Suspension Bridge, considered the world’s first modern suspension bridge, connecting the Isle of Anglesey to the north West coast of Wales, is [...]
Thomas Edison: Most Iconic Inventor
The Huffington Post: Even the Apple generation doesn’t favor Steve Jobs over the most iconic inventor in U.S. history. Young Americans overwhelmingly chose Thomas Edison as the “greatest innovator of all time” in a new MIT survey. That doesn’t mean Jobs lacks for fans in the wake of his death last year. The man who [...]
Infographic: History of the BBB
The Better Business Bureau is 100 years old this year, and to celebrate, they’ve made an infographic of their accomplishments. The top of the graphic is below, and the full version is available here.
Today in Entrepreneurial History: January 27
1888 – The National Geographic Society is founded in Washington, D.C.. 1984 – Pop singer Michael Jackson suffers second degree burns to his scalp during the filming of a Pepsi commercial in the Shrine Auditorium. 2006 – Western Union discontinues its Telegram and Commercial Messaging services.
People have been trying to create a portable phone since Alexander Graham Bell first attempts. So, just how early on did someone finally succeed? According to The Daily Mail Online, W W McFarlane’s creation in the 1920′s was one of the earliest in portable phones. The device, invented by Philadelpia experimenter W W McFarlane required [...]
Today in Entrepreneurial History: January 26
On this day in 1905 the world’s largest diamond ever, the Cullinan weighing 3,106.75 carats, is found at the Premier Mine near Pretoria in South Africa. For those of you, like me, who can’t compare carats to pounds in your head, three thousand carats equals 1.3 lbs!
Thomas Edison was a busy guy. As the fourth most prolific inventor in history, he created more than one thousands inventions for which he received a patent, and many more than went unpatented. Some of his most well know, and world changing, inventions include the phonograph, the lightbulb, the motion picture camera and the stock [...]
Today in Entrepreneurial History: January 25
1881 – Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham Bell form the Oriental Telephone Company. 1915 – Alexander Graham Bell inaugurates U.S. transcontinental telephone service, speaking from New York to Thomas Watson in San Francisco. 1937 – The Guiding Light debuts on NBC radio from Chicago. In 1952 it moves to CBS television, where it remains until [...]
Today in Entrepreneurial History: January 24
Historically, January 24 was both a good day, and a bad day for entrepreneurs. Not only was gold discovered in California and the first Apple Macintosh put up for sale, but the income tax was declared legal in the United States. 1848 – California Gold Rush: James W. Marshall finds gold at Sutter’s Mill near [...]
Today in Entrepreneurial History: January 23
1571 – The Royal Exchange opens in London. 1849 – Elizabeth Blackwell is awarded her M.D. by the Geneva Medical College of Geneva, New York, becoming the United States’ first female doctor. 1855 – The first bridge over the Mississippi River opens in what is now Minneapolis, Minnesota, a crossing made today by the Father [...]
Kodak may be facing bankruptcy at the moment, but this once glorious company has a rich history. The London Evening Standard takes a look at their past. He was a high school dropout who teachers described as “not especially gifted”, but in founding Kodak, George Eastman went on to make photography accessible to all and [...]
Inventions That Changed The Way We Live
Ever wonder what the world have been like if we never had electricity, modern medicine, or the computer? Here are some inventions that helped make our world the way it is today, as shared by SFGate. Antibiotics Alexander Fleming discovered the active substance that he termed “penicillin” while working on the influenza virus. Fleming made [...]
Cracker Barrel Founder Passes On
Cracker Barrel Founder, Dan Evins, has recently passed on at the age of 76. Before being seated, visitors walk through a “country store” stocked with wares such as rock candy, marmalades and wooden toys. Once at their table, they open a brown-paper menu listing trend-resistant American dishes — hickory smoked country ham, “chicken n’ dumplins,” [...]
Today in Entrepreneurial History: January 17
On this day in 1929, Popeye the Sailor Man, a cartoon character created by Elzie Segar, first appears in the Thimble Theatre comic strip.
How The Light Bulb Put Fort Myers On The Map
Toronto Sun: Fort Myers was just a seaside village of 350 souls when Edison arrived in 1886. He thought the strands of a special species of bamboo growing here might be useful in his bulbs. Nothing came of that, but his visit marked the beginning of his love affair with Fort Myers and when he, [...]
Today in Entrepreneurial History: January 12
1908 – A long-distance radio message is sent from the Eiffel Tower for the first time. 1926 – Original Sam ‘n’ Henry aired on Chicago radio later renamed Amos ‘n’ Andy in 1928. 1967 – Dr. James Bedford becomes the first person to be cryonically preserved with intent of future resuscitation. 1998 – Nineteen European [...]
Today in Entrepreneurial History: January 10
1776 – Thomas Paine publishes Common Sense. 1870 – John D. Rockefeller incorporates Standard Oil. 1901 – The first great Texas oil gusher is discovered at Spindletop in Beaumont, Texas. 1990 – Time Warner is formed from the merger of Time Inc. and Warner Communications.
Today in Entrepreneurial History: January 9
1768 – In London, England, Great Britain, Philip Astley stages the first modern circus. 1793 – Jean-Pierre Blanchard becomes the first person to fly in a balloon in the United States. 1816 – Sir Humphry Davy tests the Davy lamp for miners at Hebburn Colliery. 1839 – The French Academy of Sciences announces the Daguerreotype [...]
Wanted: Actor To Portray Philio Farnsworth
Deseret News: The producers of “Televisionaries,” an independent feature film based on the true story of the battle of the birth of television, are holding a casting call for an actor age 11-14 from Utah or Idaho to play the teenage Philo T. Farnsworth . Ten finalists will be invited to audition and screen test [...]
Today in Entrepreneurial History: January 6
1838 – Samuel Morse first successfully tests the electrical telegraph. 1930 – The first diesel-engined automobile trip is completed, from Indianapolis, Indiana, to New York City. 1931 – Thomas Edison submits his last patent application. 1942 – Pan American Airlines becomes the first commercial airline to schedule a flight around the world. 1974 – In [...]
Today in Entrepreneurial History: January 5
1896 – An Austrian newspaper reports that Wilhelm Roentgen has discovered a type of radiation later known as X-rays. 1914 – The Ford Motor Company announces an eight-hour workday and a minimum wage of $5 for a day’s labor. 1933 – Construction of the Golden Gate Bridge begins in San Francisco Bay. 1940 – FM [...]
Today in Entrepreneurial History: January 4
1847 – Samuel Colt sells his first revolver pistol to the United States government. 1865 – The New York Stock Exchange opens its first permanent headquarters at 10-12 Broad near Wall Street in New York City. 1903 – Topsy, an elephant, is electrocuted by Thomas Edison during the War of Currents campaign.
Today in Entrepreneurial History: January 3
1496 – Leonardo da Vinci unsuccessfully tests a flying machine. 1870 – The construction of the Brooklyn Bridge begins. 1947 – Proceedings of the U.S. Congress are televised for the first time. 1957 – The Hamilton Watch Company introduces the first electric watch. 1977 – Apple Computer is incorporated. Photo by Leo Blanchette/ShutterStock.
Today in Entrepreneurial History: January 1
1772 – The first traveler’s cheques, which can be used in 90 European cities, go on sale in London. 1773 – The hymn that became known as “Amazing Grace”, then titled “1 Chronicles 17:16–17” is first used to accompany a sermon led by John Newton in the town of Olney, England. 1788 – First edition [...]
Today in Entrepreneurial History: December 31
1600 – The British East India Company is chartered. 1695 – A window tax is imposed in England, causing many householders to brick up windows to avoid the tax. 1759 – Arthur Guinness signs a 9,000 year lease at £45 per annum and starts brewing Guinness. 1879 – Thomas Edison demonstrates incandescent lighting to the [...]
Today in Entrepreneurial History: December 29
1851 – The first American YMCA opens in Boston, Massachusetts. 1949 – KC2XAK of Bridgeport, Connecticut becomes the first Ultra high frequency (UHF) television station to operate a daily schedule. 1959 – Physicist Richard Feynman gives a speech entitled “There’s Plenty of Room at the Bottom”, which is regarded as the birth of nanotechnology.
Today in Entrepreneurial History: December 28
1612 – Galileo Galilei becomes the first astronomer to observe the planet Neptune, although he mistakenly catalogued it as a fixed star. 1895 – The Lumière brothers perform for their first paying audience at the Grand Cafe in Boulevard des Capucines, marking the debut of the cinema. 1912 – The first municipally owned streetcars take [...]
The Twirling Christmas Ornament
Christmas may be over, but many of the ornaments and their inventors will live year-to-year. John Garver is one of those people. Known to most as a twirler, his ornament lives on in Christmas history. In 1954, he struck a deal with the Mahoning Valley-based Plakie Toy Co. to produce the ornaments. The dazzling trinkets, [...]
Today in Entrepreneurial History: December 21
1620 – Plymouth Colony: William Bradford and the Mayflower Pilgrims land on what is now known as Plymouth Rock in Plymouth, Massachusetts. 1844 – The Rochdale Pioneers commence business at their cooperative in Rochdale, England, starting the Cooperative movement. 1913 – Arthur Wynne’s “word-cross”, the first crossword puzzle, is published in the New York World [...]
Inventions Born From Innovation
Humans Invent has pulled together their list of truly innovative inventions. Here are a few from that list. What are your favorites? Superglue Inventor Sir Harry Coover worked for the Eastman Kodak Company in 1942, and was actually trying to find the best material to make a transparent plastic gun sight. Unfortunately (fortunately, as it [...]
Today in Entrepreneurial History: December 14
1782 – The Montgolfier brothers’ first balloon lifts off on its first test flight. 1902 – The Commercial Pacific Cable Company lays the first Pacific telegraph cable, from Ocean Beach, San Francisco to Honolulu, Hawaii. 1903 – The Wright brothers make their first attempt to fly with the Wright Flyer at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.
Well-Known Inventions By Young Inventors: The Popsicle
Maybe it’s something about ice that spurs kids to inventive thinking. Frank Epperson left his soda water outside overnight and it turned to ice. The next morning, behold, the first Popsicle had been invented. Epperson was only 11 years old at the time, though he didn’t patent his invention until almost 20 years later, in [...]
Today in Entrepreneurial History: December 9
On this date in 1793, New York City’s first daily newspaper was established by Noah Webster. The paper was published, under a number of different names, until 1923. Originally called “American Minerva”, it was renamed the Commercial Advertiser in 1797. In 1904, it became the The New York Globe and was published until 1923, when [...]
Well-Known Inventions By Young Inventors: Earmuffs
A teenager into ice skating isn’t very unusual, and it doesn’t necessarily mark that teen out for future financial success. In Chester Greenwood’s case, his love of the winter sport was hindered only by the bitterly cold weather that hurt his ears. After experimenting with a few quick solutions, Greenwood enlisted his grandmother’s help. He [...]
Today in Entrepreneurial History: November 15
1859 – The first modern revival of the Olympic Games takes place in Athens, Greece. 1926 – The NBC radio network opens with 24 stations. 1969 – In Columbus, Ohio, Dave Thomas opens the first Wendy’s restaurant. 1971 – Intel releases world’s first commercial single-chip microprocessor, the 4004. Photo by Corvair Owner.
Today in Entrepreneurial History: November 14
1889 – Pioneering female journalist Nellie Bly (aka Elizabeth Cochrane) begins a successful attempt to travel around the world in less than 80 days. She completes the trip in seventy-two days. 1910 – Aviator Eugene Ely performs the first take off from a ship in Hampton Roads, Virginia. He took off from a makeshift deck [...]
Today in Entrepreneurial History: November 13
On this date in 2001, Dane Carlson’s Business Opportunities Weblog was founded in Modesto, California. Happy 10th anniversary to my loyal readers!
Today in Entrepreneurial History: November 12
1439 – Plymouth, England, becomes the first town incorporated by the English Parliament. 1892 – William “Pudge” Heffelfinger becomes the first professional American football player on record, participating in his first paid game for the Allegheny Athletic Association. 1933 – Hugh Gray takes the first known photos of the Loch Ness Monster. 1936 – In [...]
Today in Entrepreneurial History: November 11
Happy Armistice Day, Remembrance Day and Veterans Day. 1675 – Gottfried Leibniz demonstrates integral calculus for the first time to find the area under the graph of y = ƒ(x). 1918 – World War I: Germany signs an armistice agreement with the Allies in a railroad car in the forest of Compiègne, France. The fighting [...]
