Women are smart and powerful, and it is well past the time that that should be accepted without debate. If you want to know just how intelligent they are, here are a few things that you probably didn’t know were invented by women.
1. Windshield wipers
In 1903, a woman named Mary Anderson was visiting New York City in the winter and noticed that her driver had to constantly open the window to wipe the snow off the windshield, which made the car very cold for the passengers. She developed an early version of the common windshield wiper and got a patent for it in 1903. Unfortunately, car companies thought it would distract drivers, so she never profited from the invention, even though windshield wipers are now included on all cars.
2. Dishwashers
In the 1880s, Josephine Cochrane wanted a machine that could wash dishes faster than her servants, and be less likely to break them. Her invention was the first automatic dishwasher to use water pressure, and she patented it in 1886 and opened her own factory.
3. Home Security System
Marie Van Brittan Brown wanted to feel safe when she was home alone, so she and her husband developed the first home security system in the 1960s. It used a motor-powered camera that looked through a peephole, and there was a monitor in her bedroom with an alarm button.
4. Kevlar
In 1965, Stephanie Kwolek, a chemist, invented kevlar, which is five times stronger than steel. It is used in bullet-proof vests, body armor, and even everyday products such as gloves and mobile phones. It’s also used in airplanes and suspension bridges.
Can you think of any other ingenious inventions created by women?