Early Origins

The earliest origins of sunscreen, much like many products, date back to the ancient Greeks and Egyptians. In order to protect their skin from the sun’s harmful rays, the Greeks used olive oil and the Egyptians used extracts of jasmine, rice, and lupine plants. Although many of these are still active ingredients in skincare we use today, these ingredients don’t hold up as far as sun protection against our now chemically derived products. But those didn’t begin to circulate in our societies until the 20th century.

The Many Inventors Behind Sunscreen

The trek toward the invention of sunscreen started with H.A. Milton Blake, a chemist, who began experimenting with a sunburn cream in the 1930s. Then in 1938, a Swiss chemistry student named Franz Greiter suffered a sunburn while climbing Mount Piz Buin and he set out to create his own sunscreen product.

In the meantime, an airman and pharmacist named Benjamin Green was also in the process of creating his own version of sunscreen. He used a greasy substance called ‘red vet pet’ (red veterinary petrolatum) to protect himself and other soldiers from UV rays during WWII. Rather than being the traditional sunscreen we know as translucent, it was a heavier substance that was meant to act as a physical barrier between your skin and the sun.

Both men were working furiously to perfect their products and get them on the market. Green ended up mixing his original ‘red vet pet’ with cocoa butter and coconut oil and his product would later be bought by Coppertone and become the sunscreen we still know today. Greiter ended up coming out with a product called ‘Gletsher Creme’ or ‘Glacier Gream’ and was eventually picked up by a company called Piz Buin, which was named after the mountain trek that inspired his invention.

Although both men came out with their products around roughly the same time, Greiter’s most important contribution was that he invented the SPF rating in 1962. This is the measure of the fraction of sunburn producing UV rays that reach the skin. The SPF calculation was then adopted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1978 and it changed the way sunscreen was labeled. Once the rules had been adopted, the FDA issued a set of comprehensive guidelines to help consumers identify suitable sunscreen products.

All of these names have been tossed about in regard to who actually invented sunscreen and, since there seemed to be a case of parallel thought, it’s hard to say who was actually the first to invent it. But one thing we do know is that we couldn’t be more grateful for their invention on these 90 degree summer days.

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ICE SKATING

Most hear the phrase “ice skating” and think of figure skating, but there are a couple other variations of the sport. Speed skating is an exhilarating ways to practice your finesse on ice. As the name implies, speed is the focus, with the victor being crowned on who crosses the finish line first. There are three major types: long track, short track, and marathon. The variation determines the length of the race. Speed skating is notable for being the first winter sport to have an international federation founded, in 1892.

One of the biggest innovations for speed skating was the dawn of artificial ice. 1956 saw the last appearance of natural ice in the Olympics. Franz Krienbuhl, a Swiss skater, was also at the forefront of the development of more aerodynamic suits. These new suits were made of spandex and replaced the attached head covering with helmets. Some suits are made of Kevlar in order to protect the skater from the blades on the opponents’ feet. In 1996, the International Skating Union allowed clap skates. Clap skates were first invented in 1900, but the new revitalization allowed for greater speeds without a risk of safety.

HOCKEY

Hockey is somewhat infamous for being one of the most physical and violent sports commonly played today. But it’s also a sport that causes a great deal of wear and tear to the arena- namely, the ice upon which its played. Hockey directly led to one of the oddest devices in history: the ice resurfacer. Commonly referred to as a “Zamboni” after the inventor, it was created in 1947. Zamboni originally owned a refrigeration business, which lost sales as in-home refrigeration grew more common. Undettered, he opened an indoor ice rink which proved popular. Smoothing the ice proved cumbersome, so he modified an army Jeep to shave and wash the ice. It proved so iconic and useful that he began mass-producing them, resulting in the vehicle we all recognize today.

SKIING

Skiing has led to its fair share of… odd inventions, to say the least. One of the oldest winter sports, it lends itself well to finding new ways to increase speed and safety. Or, for Sergei Khavlin, one over the other. In 2011, the Russian man gained infamy for his propeller skis. The skis themselves are typical, but the strange part is on Khavlin’s back. By combining a 200cc lawnmower motor, some paraglider parts, and a homemade propeller, he’s managed to construct a self-propelling system. He typically uses it to commute to work.

For something less exclusive and more safety-oriented, there’s the LED ski suit. Ideal for night skiers, the suit features up to 1500 LED bulbs over the waterproof and shockproof suit. It can be synced with music for ski performances. Or maybe it’ll just illuminate the tree directly in your path.

SNOWBOARDING

Snowboarding is among the newest winter sports to be added to the Olympics, first being included in 1998. It had only been invented 33 years earlier by Sherman Poppen. The engineer wanted to create a toy for his daughters to use in the snow. He strapped two skis together with a rope at the end to provide control as they went downhill. Poppen’s wife dubbed it the “snurfer,” and it proved popular enough that Poppen later pitched it to a manufacturer.

SLEDDING

When people think of sledding in the winter, they usually picture children playing on a snow day. Enter the bobsled. A team rides inside of a sleigh and make their way through a winding course using gravity alone. Unlike the sports listed above, bobsledding is less about exposure to the elements and more a focus on teamwork. A four-man crew consists of a pilot, a brakeman, and two pushers. The ice is used to keep up momentum. This mostly applies to modern bobsledding, however. Originally, the sport was held with riders on an open sleigh, rather than the enclosed version commonly seen now.

The modern bobsled was developed by the Linney brothers- Bob and Bill. During the late 1930s, the pair built the first two-man sled to use a steel plank as the linkage. This allowed for greater control and speed through turns. They also were responsible for the side-mounted handles used by pushers to build momentum. In 1946, Bill developed the first steel sled with built-in shock absorbers. This design is still used today.

CURLING

Take shuffleboard and add sweeping. That’s the basic premise behind curling, winter sports’ biggest oddity. Two teams of four compete on ice to get their stone into a circular target called the house. The stone is not a misnomer- also called rocks, they’re literal polished pieces of granite with a handle on top. Modern curling stones are almost identical to their early counterparts, with the exception for high-level play. An electronic handle detects vibrations in the thrower’s hands and reports any “hog line” violations. This has eliminated the need for inspectors in international play, but the price puts it out of reach for most curling clubs.

What’s your favorite winter sport? Let us know on our social media and in the comments!

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Pie

You can hardly find a Thanksgiving meal without its most iconic dessert: pie. Whether your family is on team apple, team blueberry, team key lime, or team cherry (we could go on) it’s hard to imagine a Thanksgiving meal feeling complete without one. You may even wonder–how could people live in a world without pie? No? Just us? Well, luckily we haven’t really had to. The origins of pie date all the way back to Ancient Greece when they created the pastry shell by combining flour and water. It made its way through Rome and medieval England all the way down through history until finally landing on our dinner tables. You may be surprised to learn, however, that dessert pie wasn’t served at the original Thanksgiving celebration in 1691. At this time, only the English version of pie had made its way to American which was primarily meat-based. It wasn’t until the early 1800s that dessert pie began appearing on American dinner plates.

Mashed Potatoes

Another big staple of Thanksgiving dinner (and, let’s be honest, the one we most look forward to breaking our diets for) are mashed potatoes. They started out with a bit of a tumultuous history, even once being banned in France because of the fear that vegetables would cause leprosy… yikes. But let’s fast forward to 1887 where the world got its first glimpse into the more automated world of potato mashing. Inventors Jacob Fitzgerald and William H. Silver applied for a patent for the ‘potato-masher and fruit-crusher’ which was designed to crush the potato through a series of small holes, similar to a garlic press. This version was a vast improvement on simply crushing the potatoes on your own as it produced a smoother and more buttery soft potato.

Tinsel

There’s nothing quite like the way tinsel shines among the lights on our Christmas trees. You may be surprised to learn, however, when Tinsel first became a Christmas decoration in the early 1600s it was made of genuine silver which was shredded into thin slivers. There were a few problems with this at the time. The first was that silver eventually tarnishes so you’d only achieve that magnetic shine for a limited amount of time. The second was that, as you could likely guess, silver is expensive so it could only be afforded as a decoration by the very wealthy. This led to the invention of the artificial garland we know today which is typically made of plastic and comes in a variety of festive colors.

Elf on the Shelf

You’ve likely seen this one circulating around quite a bit and there’s a good reason for that- it’s a fairly recent tradition. It derives from a book by the same title written in 2004 by author Carol Aebersold and her daughter Bell Chanda. The book tells the story of how Santa knows if you’ve been naughty or nice because elves will visit children between Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve. The book reached the bestseller list in 2013 and the plot has caused the tradition we often see of parents photographing these elves hiding or being caught in precarious scenarios.

Gingerbread House

When it comes to the origins of Gingerbread houses, fact and fantasy tend to intertwine. People often attribute the creation of Gingerbread Houses to The Brothers Grimm. The famed fairy tale writers wrote the famous story of Hansel and Gretel in the early 19th century and, suddenly, Gingerbread houses were everywhere and eventually became the Christmas tradition we look forward to every year. But did these fiction writers invent the Gingerbread house? It’s a great story, but it’s sadly false. Gingerbread houses had already been around since the 1600s, a few centuries after Gingerbread cookies were invented. There were even Gingerbread fairs in England and France throughout the middle ages. Though we may not know the original architect of these structures, the Grimm Brothers fairy tale was responsible for popularizing the art, and we can thank them for one of our favorite (and messiest) holiday activities.

Nutcracker

The earliest forms of the Nutcracker started in 15th and 16th century France and England. Though woodworkers were creating intricate designs, they were far from the colorful soldiers that are now a staple of the Christmas season. Standing wooden nutcrackers in the form of soldiers and kings were shown in the Sonnenberg and Erzgebirge regions of Germany by 1800 and 1830 and the term “Nussknacker” appeared in the dictionary of the Brothers Grimm. In 1872 Wilhelm Fuchtner, known as the father of the Nutcracker, made the first commercial production of nutcrackers using the lathe to create many of the same design. Now they’ve gone from being a functional woodworking piece to a colorful Christmas tradition!

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It Started With da Vinci

There’s a good reason for that, though: there is no single inventor. Many different people designed and built precursors to modern automobiles. Some may say the idea should be credited to Leonardo da Vinci, who made models of various transport vehicles. However, because he never successfully built a full version, it’s harder to say he “invented” it. Da Vinci merely laid the groundwork for others to follow.

In 1769, Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot from France built the first self-propelled, steam-powered vehicle. It was a three-wheeled tractor meant for military use and reached a top speed of 2.5 MPH. While not a car, it was an automobile that could be driven on the roads. Cugnot was followed by Robert Anderson, a Scotsman who created an electric carriage sometime between 1832-1839. During that period, American Thomas Davenport worked on his own electric vehicle.

Three Wheels or Four?

However, all three men are largely overshadowed by Karl Friedrich Benz, who unveiled his gas-powered vehicle in around 1885-1886. This is largely considered the first “real” automobile, with an internal combustion engine that is still widely used today. It had three wheels, four cycles, and the engine and chassis formed a single unit. In other words, it most closely resembled what we consider to be a modern car, just minus one wheel.

Around the same time, also in Germany, Gottlieb Wilhelm Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach built their own gasoline-powered automobile. This one did have four wheels and was named the “Cannstatt-Daimler.” They would reuse the engine for many other vehicles over the years, including trolleys and the world’s first motorboat. Eventually, Benz and Daimler merged their companies, becoming what is today known as Mercedes-Benz.

From that point onwards, most early automobiles used gasoline as fuel. For instance, George Baldwin Selden patented a carriage with a built-in combustion engine in 1895. It was never manufactured, but Selden did collect royalties. Two years prior, Charles and Frank Duryea made the first successful gas-powered car and set up America’s first car manufacturing company.

Henry Ford and the Future

Of course, all these men have been greatly overshadowed by Henry Ford and his Model T. While Ford did not invent the automobile, he’s widely considered to have perfected it (for the time) and made it accessible to the greater public. The Model T itself was awarded Car of the Century in 1999, and standardized many features we now take for granted, like different speed gears and parking brakes. For this reason, fairly or not, Henry Ford is believed to be the father of the modern automobile.

Plenty of other advancements have happened in the world of automobiles. Pickup trucks and vans became available and eventually commonplace. Station wagons grew in prominence before falling out of fashion. Peugeot produced the first hardback convertible in 1934. Tesla has released a line of plug-in, all-electric vehicles, with the Tesla Model S being named the new Car of the Century. (Time will tell if it’ll keep that title.)

The history of the automobile is complex, with no one person behind it. Perhaps that’s why it has evolved and changed greatly over the years. Whether you credit its invention to Ford, Benz, da Vinci, or somebody else, one thing is agreed upon: the world would be drastically different without it. For that, we have a long list of names to thank.

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Built-in Apps and the App Store

In 1997, the Nokia 6110 included a built-in version of the basic arcade game “Snake,” which many consider the first mobile app. The first iPod would also come with built-in games: Solitaire and Brick.

Back in 1983, however, a young Steve Jobs first envisioned the App Store…or at least a very basic version of it. Jobs imagined a place where software could be bought over phone lines. Shortly after Apple’s introduction of the iPod, the iTunes store launched, acting as a precursor to the Apple App Store. The iPhone was released in June 2007 to critical and commercial success. Native apps were developed, and just over a year later…the App Store was launched.

The original App Store launched with 500 apps, meaning there is no “true” first app. Nevertheless, as new varieties of smartphones were unveiled, different app clients were introduced. Google Play, the Amazon App Store, and Blackberry’s App World also give more people the ability to enjoy various apps on their phones. It’s also worth mentioning that each store had both paid and free apps from the beginning, meaning premium and “freemium” content was always a factor.

Angry Birds

Also noteworthy? Angry Birds. The first installment in the wildly popular franchise was released in December 2009 and quickly became a runaway hit. By 2015, over three billion downloads were amassed between all entries in the series, making it the most successful freemium software of all time. Countless spinoffs and merchandise were created. Movies, theme parks, and soft drinks were everywhere; and while not as popular as they were at their peak, these birds still dominate the market today.  They even made it to NASA:

App was voted “Word of the Year” for 2010, on the eve of some of the biggest changes in the app market. Apple revealed almost 300,000 jobs were added to the US economy since the iPhone’s debut, calling it “the app revolution.” Facebook acquired Instagram for $1 billion in April 2012, an unprecedented move in the world of technology. Flappy Bird was introduced and quickly pulled from the market, but not before becoming an enduring meme.

2014 showed a shift in app usage, from fun games and social media to entire lifestyles. Snapchat reported 700 million photos were shared each day. Smartphones continue to sell, and apps alongside them. Not that you need a phone to use apps anymore, thanks to smartwatches, smart appliances, and smart clothes (well, maybe not the latter…yet). Apps have become so integral to everyday life that there are few who don’t use them on a regular basis. On a personal level, apps allow for families and friends to connect even when miles apart. They also keep you in touch with professional colleagues and informed of what developments are happening, even when you’re not on the clock.

Apps aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. They’ve become so ubiquitous it’s difficult to imagine what the world would be like without them. In 2009, Apple ran a commercial saying “There’s an app for that.” A self-fulfilling prophecy or a prediction of what was to come? You decide.

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Since the 1800s, the telephone has gone through hundreds of changes. Some are minute, others are complete upheavals. No matter what form the phone takes, however, it still completely revolutionized how society communicates and interacts with each other and continues to impact culture to this day.

Due to the vast history of the phone, only a few major highlights will be covered here. For starters, the first phone with the ability to dial a number was invented in 1905. Almon B. Strowger is credited with creating the first rotary phone, eliminating the need for switchboards and operators. Despite this, they didn’t catch on until the 1920s. The Frankfurt “Bauhaus” is considered the first mainstream rotary phone.

Jumping a few decades ahead, advancements like touchtone dialing and cordless phones are growing more commonplace in the 1970s. Around that time, AT&T began experimenting with a telephone that could transmit images during a call. It was deemed too bulky and expensive but laid the groundwork for what would eventually become video calls and text messages.

The 80s were a major turning point in the evolution of phones. Caller ID was being implemented. VoIP services were going into testing. And biggest of all, the first mobile phones were in development. Well, “mobile” in the sense that they could be brought with people and had a larger range than traditional cordless phones. They were still bulky and clunky, a far cry from the sleek models that rule today’s markets. The release of the Motorola MicroTac9800X in 1989 was the first modern cell phone, with its slim case and flip design.

Cell phones would grow to be more mainstream and accessible throughout the nineties but wouldn’t reach the popularity they enjoy today until the new millennium. Still, the first smartphone was being developed, long before the term even existed. The IBM Simon was a revolutionary device that combined a telephone with PDA elements, making it a precursor to devices like the Blackberry and iPhone.

In the past two decades, the advancements made to phones have been massive and rapid. It’s amazing to think that when the iPhone was first introduced in 2007, it was unprecedented. Now, even phones with full keyboards are considered dated. Skype was integrated into both smartphones and computers, giving people even more communication options. New operating systems were being developed, each more sophisticated than the last. Built-in phone cameras also improved, capable of capturing pristine pictures and later video. It wasn’t long before books, movies, and even games could be enjoyed from a phone, making them all-in-one entertainment devices. Assistants like Siri and Cortana gave phones more accessibility and, to some at least, a personality.

The future of the telephone is bright. Almost every person on the planet owns at least one, even if they aren’t strictly of the latest model. Resources will continue to be poured into developing new software and hardware and improving existing technology. The telephone has come a remarkably long way since that fateful day in 1876, much farther and faster than Graham Bell could’ve anticipated. We may take them for granted now, but the technology behind smartphones is staggering. And it all began with a few simple words: “Mr. Watson, come here. I want to see you.”

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Long before traditional cameras, people employed camera obscuras. Images projected using this natural phenomenon were larger than normal but inverted. Functionally, it was like our modern projectors. Some artists would use the projected image as a guide or even trace the image, much like a lightbox. This was the only way to preserve the image after turning the device off.

In 1816, Nicephore Niepce successfully made a partial photograph using a camera he built, and a paper coated with silver chloride. Unfortunately, he hadn’t figured out how to remove the untreated silver chloride, meaning the image was eventually darkened completely by the light needed to view it. In the mid-1820s, Niepce used a new sliding wooden camera (created by Charles and Vincent Chevalier) to experiment with Bitumen of Judea. Only one of the photos from this experiment, View from the Window at Le Gras, has survived.

Louise Daguerre continued to experiment with cameras after Niepce’s death in 1833, resulting in the first practical photographic process in 1837. Dubbed the “daguerreotype,” it used silver-plated copper treated with iodine vapor to create images. It was wildly successful after debuting to the public in 1839, where both it and the calotype began introducing photography to the masses. Normally, having portraits taken was an activity exclusive to the upper classes. The cost and amount of time needed to produce such works were unreasonable for most working-class people. The speed of the camera, which only increased as time went on, made it possible for anybody to have quality portraits.

When photographic film hit the market in 1888, cameras truly began to resemble the ones we know today. George Eastman began selling his Kodak cameras, which were affordable and small enough for the average consumer to consider. The film inside could hold up to 100 photos, and the entire device would have to be sent back to the factory for processing and printing. In 1900, he introduced the Brownie camera, introducing the snapshot to the public. It was during this time that movie cameras went from expensive toys to tools with legitimate commercial use.

Another common type of film was 35mm. Typically, cheaper cameras used roll film, whereas higher-end would utilize 35mm. Eventually, even lower-grade cameras were equipped with 35mm film, although the least expensive cameras would still use roll film. Famous camera company Canon had its start during this period, gaining popularity with other Japanese cameras after the Korean War. Single-lens reflex (SLR) cameras were also gaining traction with the public as the technology made them less bulky. Both SLR and twin-lens reflex (TLR) cameras were available previously, but mostly appealed to professionals due to both size and cost.

Instant cameras, such as the famous Polaroid, first appeared on the market in 1948. The simple nature and ability to print and view photos within minutes made them popular with families, even with higher prices at launch. Automatic exposure followed a similar story: expensive at first, but quickly catching on among consumers and lowering in cost as time went on. All of these elements combined would lead to the earliest digital cameras. Unfortunately, the history of the digital camera is far too dense to cover in its entirety here, but to give you a rough idea of where they started: the very first digital cameras stored their images on floppy disk.

It’s hard to imagine where cameras will go from here when now professional-grade images can be produced with nothing but a timer button and a selfie stick. At the same time, however, it’s fascinating to think that just over 200 years ago, photographs, as we know them, were still experimental. Technology can change drastically in a short amount of time; maybe in ten years’ time, we’ll have camera eyes.

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EARMUFFS

At the humble age of 15, Chester Greenwood just wanted to go ice skating. But when he got on the ice, he quickly retreated back to his house because his ears were too cold. He asked his grandmother to sew two bunches of fur between loops of wire. The manufacturing of these ear protectors, now known as earmuffs, kept his hometown of Farmington employed for nearly 60 years.  In fact, the first Saturday of December is designated as Chester Greenwood Day to celebrate the man and his invention.

DOWN JACKETS

The earliest known use of down feathers for insulation was in the 1600s- a Russian document lists “bird down” as being sold to Dutch merchants. Down feathers now typically come from domesticated geese but historically could be from anything from ducks to seagulls. It was first patented in the United States by none other than Eddie Bauer in 1940 and would become his most successful and iconic product. As the decade progressed, Bauer made several other products with down: comforters, pillows, a “sleeping robe” and a sleeping bag he guaranteed to keep people warm in temperatures as low as -60 degrees F.

SNOWSHOES

Snowshoes were invented in Central Asia, taking inspiration from the evolutionary traits of winter animals. The version most are familiar with- webbed with lacings- was created by Indigenous people. These consisted of flat leather surfaces and rounded wooden blocks and were meant to help the user walk over a large area without their foot sinking into the snow. Although a necessity when first invented, today they are more used for recreation and their design has changed accordingly.  Today’s modern snowshoe was created by Gene and Bill Prater in 1972 and is made out of aluminum and nylon.

GLOVES (AND MITTENS)

It’s hard to tell when wearing gloves for protection from the cold started, but most theorize it to be as old as clothing itself. Mittens, meanwhile, date back to Latvia around 1000 AD and actually keep your hands warmer than gloves. The story behind mittens is rather unique. When getting married, Latvian women were gifted with a hope chest filled with mittens, each with a different pattern to bless their homes, their husbands, their families and the world around them.  Side note: mittens with the string attached so they don’t get lost are called idiot mittens. Make of that what you will.

ELECTRIC BLANKETS

In 1912, physician Sidney Russel invented the first electric blanket. It was designed to be placed under a mattress and send heat upwards to the person in bed. The more traditional kind that let you snuggle directly underneath was developed by George Crowley in 1930. The addition of a thermostat to control temperature was added in 1936. Today, we can snuggle up under heated quilts and rest our heads on heated pillows… here’s hoping one day we’ll have a heated mattress. And while electric blankets may not seem like outdoor winter wear, tuberculosis patients were given them to keep warm while they slept outside for treatment…making them a mandatory piece of survival.

THERMAL UNDERWEAR

Thermal underwear, or “long johns,” were first introduced to the British public in the 17^th century. It wasn’t until the next century that they caught on as sleepwear. These garments were meant to be worn not only for sleeping but also under normal clothing to keep warm and insulate the body. Traditionally wool was used, but a much less itchy cotton or cotton-poly blend are commonly used today.

BALACLAVA

During the Crimean War, the battle of Balaclava was fought. Due to the name and location, the facemasks the soldiers wore were nicknamed “balaclavas.” While primarily used for protection from the elements, the garment was designed to be multi-purpose. The modern ski mask is a variation of the balaclava meant for the wear and tear of sports.

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VAXXWAGON

For many developing countries, being able to distribute vaccines is a challenge. If the medicine gets too warm, it could lose its effectiveness. Anurudh Ganesan, a then 15-year-old student, knew firsthand how lucky he was to have received a polio vaccination in his home country of India. The struggles his grandparents went through to get him the shot led him to build the VAXXWAGON, a modified bicycle with a thermos kept cold by user pedaling.

BAND-AIDS

Mr. and Mrs. Earl Dickson lived at the turn of the century and were, by all accounts, quite a loving pair. Mr. Dickson was indeed so caring he sought to help his wife deal with the many cuts and burns she gave herself while making dinner. Using his skills and resources from working at Johnson & Johnson, he attached gauze to pieces of surgical tape, prepared for whenever she was injured. The result? The earliest adhesive bandages.

MADAME CJ WALKER

The daughter of former slaves, Sarah Breedlove Walker struggled during her life but never lost hope. After developing a lotion to deal with her hair loss, she began selling her product door-to-door before establishing a college in Pittsburgh. The Walker System, as it came to be known, revolutionized the sales industry and gave African-American women a chance to provide for themselves. Today, she’s recognized as the first female African-American self-made millionaire.

LEONARDO DA VINCI

The creations of Leonardo da Vinci are well-documented and discussed, but few talk about just how ahead of his time he was. From birth, he was considered different (being born out of wedlock during an age of strict religious ideas). His interpretations of religion in paintings like The Last Supper flew in the face of societal norms. And of course, his inventions- including scuba suits and modern tanks- are still being perfected today. He may be a Renaissance man, but his work is far from ancient.

GUNPEI YOKOI

Long before they manufactured video games, Nintendo made Hanafuda cards. One day, the president visited the factory Gunpei Yokoi was working at and noticed a toy Yokoi had made. The extending arm, later dubbed the Ultra Hand, was then rushed into production and became a smash for Nintendo. Yokoi continued to develop toys for Nintendo, including the first in the lucrative Game Boy line of consoles. He’s also known for the creation of the control pad, a staple on many gaming consoles to this day.

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

When he wasn’t busy being a founding father, Benjamin Franklin enjoyed experimenting. His discovery of electricity, if somewhat misattributed, is common knowledge. But what about the Franklin stove? The lightning rod? Indeed, not all of his ideas were amazing- he wanted to make the national bird the turkey, for example- but what makes him inspiring was his stance on his inventions. He never patented his inventions because he believed everybody should be able to use them.

DISHWASHER

Josephine Cochrane wanted to make life easier for her servants by lessening the work they had to do to clean the dishes. She built a machine with a motor spinning a wheel inside of a copper boiler. This was the first automatic dishwasher to use water pressure. After her alcoholic husband left her with debt after his death, she patented the creation in 1886 and used it to open her own factory and revolutionize households forever.

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STRING LIGHTS

While they might be a hassle to get untangled, prior to their release, people would decorate their trees with live candles. As you can imagine, this was actually pretty dangerous, so Edward Johnson sought to create a safer alternative. Johnson, the protégé of Thomas Edison, debuted his electric Christmas lights to the public in the late 1800s and the tradition of wrestling with them each year has persisted ever since.

GIFT CARDS

These popular stocking stuffers and gifts from relatives you don’t really speak with first debuted in 1998. Nancy Gensburg and Carol Jacobsohn of Swift Gifts in Illinois combined the magic of modern credit cards with store-specific gift certificates and gift cards were born. They were an instant hit and now most retailers have some version of a gift card.

YULE LOGS

Few people burn actual yule logs anymore. The tradition started as a pagan ritual to celebrate the winter solstice, usually burning pine, birch, oak, or aspen (with each type of wood having a different meaning). The modern equivalent is the yule log cake or “Buche de Noel.”  A chocolate sponge cake is rolled around cream and decorated to look like a traditional yule log. It was first created by a French pastry chef in the late 1880s.

THE DREIDEL

Before becoming the game of choice at Hanukah gatherings, the dreidel started as a top popular in Germany during Christmastime. The Jewish community soon adopted the toy, changing the letters on the top from German to Yiddish. Some stories also suggest that they were used as a cover-up after illegally reading the Torah while hiding from the Seleucids.

CANDY CANES

White sugar candy sticks were popular treats, but in 1670 the choirmaster at Cologne Cathedral decided to bend them to look like shepherd’s crooks. They were handed out to children to keep them quiet during services. It wasn’t until the 1900s that the peppermint flavor and iconic red stripes were added, making them the wintertime snack we all know and love.

GREETING CARDS

Surprisingly, Hallmark had nothing to do with the first Christmas card, although they did help popularize them years later. The first card was designed in 1843 by Sir Henry Cole and his friend, artist John Horsley. The inscription was a simple “A Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to You.” Believe it or not, the card was actually quite controversial because it included an image of a child being given a glass of wine. But one controversial card didn’t stop this fad. Today, thanks to sites like Shutterfly, many families send out personalize cards with family photos so you can see just how much everyone has grown in the last year.

WRAPPING PAPER

We have Hallmark to thank for wrapping paper, naturally. People traditionally wrapped their presents in fabric or plain papers, but the Kansas City, Missouri Hall Brothers store ran out of the latter one day in 1917. They started offering patterned envelope liners as an alternative. Shoppers loved it and gift wrap hasn’t been the same since. Today, you can find gift wrap decorated with everything from donuts to dinosaurs, and it’s become an art to match the gift wrap with the receiver’s personality.

ARTIFICIAL CHRISTMAS TREES

While going out as a family to pick out the perfect Christmas tree is considered iconic, nowadays many pull the artificial one from the basement. Early artificial trees were made in Germany out of wire covered in green-dyed feathers. In the 1930s, the plastic tree most are familiar with was introduced by Addis, a toilet brush company and the first trees were made out of, you guessed it–toilet brush bristles. We’ve come a long way since then and now you can get trees pre-lit, snow covered and in all colors of the rainbow.

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