List of African-American inventors and scientists facts for kids

African Americans have made amazing contributions to science and invention throughout history! This list shares some of the brilliant minds who created many different things, from everyday tools to big scientific discoveries in fields like physics, biology, math, and medicine. Their work has truly changed the world.

Amazing Minds in History

Even though African Americans faced many challenges, they still created a huge number of important inventions. Let's look at some of these incredible innovators.

George Washington Carver: The Plant Genius

George Washington Carver, a famous botanist.

One of the earliest and most famous inventors was George Washington Carver. He was known for his research into plants, especially finding new uses for crops other than cotton. He wanted to help poor farmers grow different foods for themselves and create new products to improve their lives.

Carver created over 100 products from peanuts, like food recipes and household items. He also found many uses for sweet potatoes and soybeans. His work helped farmers grow healthier food and make more money. He received many awards for his important contributions.

Percy Julian: Chemist and Medicine Maker

Later, a brilliant chemist named Percy Lavon Julian became famous. He was a pioneer in making medicines from plants. He was the first to create a natural product called physostigmine in a lab.

Julian also found ways to make human hormones like progesterone and testosterone from plant materials on a large scale. His discoveries were super important because they helped create many steroid medicines, including cortisone, which is used to treat many illnesses.

Lonnie Johnson: The Super Soaker Inventor

A modern-day inventor you might know is Lonnie George Johnson, an engineer. He invented the Super Soaker water gun! This toy was incredibly popular and was the top-selling toy in the United States in 1991 and 1992.

Johnson started his own company and licensed the Super Soaker. It made hundreds of millions of dollars in sales! He used most of the money he earned to research new energy technologies. As of 2019, Lonnie Johnson holds over 120 patents, which are special rights given to inventors for their creations. He truly shows how invention can lead to more innovation.

More Amazing African American Innovators

Many other African Americans have made incredible contributions to science and technology. Here are just a few more examples:

• Alice Augusta Ball (1892–1916): A chemist who developed the most effective treatment for leprosy (Hansen's disease) using chaulmoogra oil.
• Benjamin Banneker (1731–1806): A self-taught scientist who built a wooden clock, helped survey the land for Washington, D.C., and published almanacs.
• Patricia Bath (1942–2019): An ophthalmologist (eye doctor) who invented the Laserphaco Probe, which revolutionized cataract surgery. She was the first African-American female doctor to get a patent for a medical invention.
• Otis Boykin (1920–1982): An inventor and engineer who created the control unit for artificial heart pacemakers.
• Sarah Boone (1832–1905): Invented an improved ironing board that made it easier to iron sleeves and other parts of women's clothing.
• Marie Van Brittan Brown (1922–1999): Invented an early version of the home security system.
• Ben Carson (1951–): A pediatric neurosurgeon who was the first surgeon to successfully separate conjoined twins joined at the head.
• George Carruthers (1931–2020): An astrophysicist who invented an ultraviolet camera/spectrograph used by NASA on Apollo 16.
• Charles Drew (1904–1950): A medical researcher who developed improved techniques for storing blood plasma, saving many lives.
• Annie Easley (1933–2011): A computer scientist who worked for NASA, contributing to rocket technology and space programs.
• Sarah E. Goode (1855–1905): Invented a folding "cabinet-bed," which was a forerunner to the "Murphy bed." She was the first African-American woman to receive a patent in the United States.
• Frederick McKinley Jones (1893–1961): Invented refrigerated truck systems, which changed how food was transported and kept fresh.
• Katherine Johnson (1918–2020): A physicist and mathematician who made vital calculations for NASA's space missions, including the first American in orbit.
• Lewis Howard Latimer (1848–1928): An inventor and draftsman who worked with Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas Edison. He invented a more durable carbon filament for light bulbs, making them last much longer.
• Elijah McCoy (1844–1929): Invented the automatic lubricator for steam engines, which helped trains and other machines run more smoothly without stopping.
• Ronald McNair (1950–1986): An astronaut and physicist who specialized in laser physics. He was one of the astronauts on the Space Shuttle Challenger.
• Alexander Miles (1838–1918): Invented electric elevator doors that open and close automatically, making elevators much safer.
• Garrett Morgan (1877–1963): Invented an early version of a gas mask (called a "smoke hood") and created the first traffic light with a third "warning" position, which is standard today.
• Valerie Thomas (1943–): A data analyst and inventor who created the illusion transmitter, a device that creates 3D images.
• Vivien Thomas (1910–1985): A surgical technician who helped develop a treatment for "blue baby syndrome" in the 1940s, saving many children's lives.
• James West (1931–): Co-developed the foil electret microphone, which is used in almost all phones, hearing aids, and many other devices today.
• Daniel Hale Williams (1856–1931): A surgeon who was the first black person on record to successfully perform heart surgery to repair a wound.
• Granville Woods (1856–1910): Invented the synchronous multiplex railway telegraph, which allowed trains to communicate with stations while moving.

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