Historic Inventions

February 15, 2019

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS/GETTY IMAGES

A patent is a legal document. It stops people from copying an inventor’s idea. The U.S. began giving out patents in 1790. Here are some inventions that have received patents.

Cotton Gin

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Eli Whitney got a patent for the cotton gin in 1794. It was a machine that quickly cleaned cotton. This made it easier to create cloth.

Electric Lightbulb

CHRIS HUNTER—GETTY IMAGES

Thomas Edison got a patent for an electric lightbulb in 1880. Edison got more than 1,000 patents for inventions.

Airplane

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS/GETTY IMAGES

Wilbur and Orville Wright got a patent for a “flying machine” in 1906. They invented the first successful airplane.

iPhone

KIM KULISH—CORBIS/GETTY IMAGES

The first iPhone was released in 2007. In 2008, Apple Inc. got patents for its design.

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