BLACK HISTORY MONTH LITTLE KNOWN FACTS

Fact #14
Sarah E. Goode invented a bed that folded up into a cabinet in 1885. Contrary to popular belief, she was not the first African-American woman to receive a patent, but the second.

Fact #15
In 1899, African-American golf fan Dr. George Franklin Grant received a patent for the world's first golf tee. Grant, however, never marketed his invention, instead giving the tees away to friends and fellow golfers.

Fact #16
Thomas L. Jennings was the first African-American to receive a patent in 1821. It was for a dry-cleaning process in 1821. He used the money earned from the patent to purchase relatives out of slavery and support abolitionist causes.

Fact #17
Lonnie G. Johnson, an engineer who performed spacecraft system design for NASA, invented the Super Soaker water gun—the number one selling toy in America in 1991.

Fact #18
Frederick Jones held over 60 patents, with most of them pertaining to refrigeration. His portable air conditioner was used in World War II to preserve medicine and blood serum.

Fact #19
Dr. Maulana Karenga created the African-American holiday, Kwanzaa, in 1966.

Fact #20
History has credited Thomas Edison with the invention of the light bulb, but fewer people know about Lewis Latimer's innovations toward its development. Until Latimer's process formaking carbon filament, Edison's light bulbs would only burn for a few minutes. Latimer'sfilament burned for several hours.

Fact #21
Joseph Lee invented a bread-making machine that mixed the ingredients and kneaded the dough in 1895.

Fact #22
John Love invented the pencil sharpener in 1897.

Fact #23
Thomas J. Martin patented a fire extinguisher in 1872.

Fact #24
Bridget "Biddy" Mason founded the First African Methodist Episcopalian church in Los Angeles.

Fact #25
Jan Ernst Matzeliger invented the Shoe Lasting machine, which connected the upper part of the shoe to the sole, a painstaking process that was usually done by hand. This invention revolutionized the shoe making industry.

Fact #26
Elijah McCoy invented an automatic lubricator for oiling steam engines in 1872. The term "the real McCoy" is believed to be a reference about the reliability of Elijah McCoy's invention.

Fact #27
Alexander Miles of Duluth, Minnesota patented an electric elevator in 1887 with automatic doors that would close off the shaft way, thus making elevators safer.

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