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Famous Inventors : A to Z

Research the history of great inventors - past and present.

By Mary Bellis, About.com

Joseph Henry

Joseph Henry - important American scientist and the first Director of the Smithsonian Institution.

Painting by Henry Ulke - 1875

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Charles Martin Hall

Discovered an electrolytic method of producing aluminum cheaply, putting aluminum into the first wide commercial use in history.

Lloyd Augustus Hall

Invented meat curing products, seasonings, emulsions, bakery products, antioxidants, protein hydrolysates and many other products.

Joyce Hall

A youthful picture postcard peddler who became the big name in greeting cards by starting Hallmark Cards. The history of Hallmark Cards.

Robert Hall

In 1962, Hall invented the semiconductor injection laser, a device now used in all compact disk players and laser printers, and most optical fiber communications systems. Hall also invented the magnetron that operates in most microwave ovens.

Sir William Hamilton

As well as giving his name to the company he founded in 1939, Hamilton was a famous New Zealander, who invented the modern waterjet propulsion system.

Thomas Hancock

An Englishmen, who founded the British rubber industry. He is best known for his invention of the masticator, a machine that shreds rubber scraps, so rubber could be recycled. The history of rubber.

Ruth Handler

The Barbie doll was invented in 1959 - the history of Barbie.

William Edward Hanford

Received a patent for polyurethane in 1942. The hsitory of polyurethane.

James Hargreaves

Invented the spinning jenny.

Elizabeth Lee Hazen

Invented the world's first useful antifungal antibiotic, Nystatin.

Heinrich Hertz

Hertz was the first to demonstrate the production and detection of Maxwell's waves that lead to the invention of radio.

Lester Hendershot

"The Hendershot Generator" was alleged to produce useable electric power in the range of 200 to 300 watts in 1930.

Beulah Henry

All told, Beulah Henry had about 110 inventions and 49 patents under her belt.

Joseph Henry

An important American scientist and the first Director of the Smithsonian Institution.

William R Hewlett

Invented the audio oscillator and co-founded the electronics company, Hewlett-Packard - the history of Hewlett Packard.

Rene Alphonse Higonnet

Invented the first practical phototypesetting machine.

Wolf H Hilbertz

Invented sea-cretion, a construction material made from the electrolytic deposition of minerals from seawater.

Lance Hill

A rotary clothes line was developed and marketed by Australian, Lance Hill.

James Hillier

Part of the development of the electron microscope.

Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin

Hodgkin used X-Rays to find the structural layouts of atoms and the overall molecular shape of over 100 molecules including: penicillin, vitamin B-12, vitamin D and insulin.

Marcian Hoff

Received a patent for the Intel 4004 computer microprocessor - the history of microprocessor.

Paul Hogan

Paul Hogan and fellow research chemist Robert Banks invented a durable plastic called Marlex.

John Holland

In 1896 the US Navy insisted that submarine designer John Holland build his first contract submarine.

Herman Hollerith

Invented a punch-card tabulation machine system for statistical computation.

Richard M Hollingshead

Received a patent for and opened the first drive-in theater.

Krisztina Holly

Co-invented the telephony software called Visual Voice.

Donald Fletcher Holmes

Received a patent for polyurethane in 1942.

Robert Hooke

Hooke was perhaps the single greatest experimental scientist of the seventeenth century.

Erna Schneider Hoover

Invented the computerized telephone switching system.

Grace Hopper

A computer genius associated the Mark Computer series. See Also - Biography, Quotes of Grace Hopper

Eugene Houdry

Invented the manufacture of liquid fuels, the catalytic muffler and a synthetic rubber process.

Elias Howe

Patented the first American made sewing machine.

David Edward Hughes

Invented the carbon microphone that was essential to the development of telephone.

Walter Hunt

Invented the safety pin in 1849.

Christian Huygens

Dutch physicist, mathematician, and astronomer who was the leading proponent of the wave theory of light.

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