Homework Helper

Eli Whitney (1794). Whitney’s machine separated cotton fibers from the seed. Before, this work was done by hand.

Richard Drew (1930). Drew’s invention was the first waterproof, see-through adhesive, or sticky, tape.

Thomas Edison (1879). Edison produced a reliable, long-lasting source of light that was practical, affordable, and safe.

Benjamin Holt (1904). Holt’s tractor used flat tracks instead of wheels to keep the vehicle from sinking into soft ground.

Jacques Cousteau (1942). The Aqua-Lung was a tank of oxygen used by divers for underwater breathing.

Henry Ford (1908). Ford’s was the first motor vehicle produced in large amounts, on an assembly line.

Alexander Graham Bell (1876). Bell’s telephone let people talk at a distance for the first time.

Orville and Wilbur Wright (1903). The Wright brothers’ airplane was the first machine that allowed people to fly.

Ruth Wakefield (1930). Wakefield broke a chocolate bar into bits. Her chocolate chip cookie recipe became nationally famous.

Joseph-Michel and Jacques-Etienne Montgolfier (1783). Their balloon carried a sheep, rooster, and duck for eight minutes.

Tim Berners-Lee (1991). This invention brought humankind into a digital world and helped advance research and communications.

Richard James (1945). In 1943, James watched a spring bouncing on the floor and thought it would make a fun toy.

George Eastman (1888). Eastman made photography available to everyone, not just professionals.

Levi Strauss (1873). Strauss used a fabric called denim to make durable pants for workers. The pants became known as blue jeans.

Elias Howe (1846). Howe’s machine put out 250 stitches a minute. Before that, stitching was done by hand, and took much longer.

Johannes Gutenberg (1436). This simple machine made books available to the public.

Benjamin Franklin (1784). Franklin developed eyeglasses with special lenses for seeing both at a distance and close up.

Thomas Edison (1888). The first motion picture was of an Edison employee pretending to sneeze.

Georges de Mestral (1955). Through a hook-and-loop system, de Mestral invented a way to fasten materials together.