Feb 2 1892 – William Painter from Baltimore patents the bottle cap with cork seal. He’s the same dude that came up with the bottle opener, a machine for crowning bottles, a paper-folding machine, a safety ejection seat for passenger trains, and a machine for detecting counterfeit currency. He was inducted to the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2006.
Feb 8 1883 Louis Waterman begins experiment to invent the fountain pen. That’s right, world. You no longer have to dip that pesky feather into a jar of ink. Yet another reason planet Earth just needs Americans. Lewis Edson Waterman founded his company in New York in 1883 with the invention of a new feeder. He used the capillarity principle which allowed air to induce a steady and even flow of ink. He worked on his invention for ten years before placing it on the market. Waterman got a patent for his new fountain pens in 1884.
Jan. 3, 1888 — Marvin C. Stone patents the first wax drinking straw. I don’t think I’ve drank anything from a straw since I was like, 10, but what a great invention. Previously, folks used natural rye grass straws which wound up leaving a funny taste in the drink. Stone first made his straw by spiraling paper around a pencil and glued it at both ends. Then he began using paraffin wax coated manila paper that wouldn’t get soggy. This caught on, as we all well know, and he made a fortune out of making drinking straws. You’re welcome world.
Jan. 19 1825 – The tin can is patented by Timothy Dagggett and his father-in-law Ezra.Prior to this Thomas had published a map of the area of conflict in the War of 1812. Speaking of tin cans…
Jan. 24 1935 – First canned beer goes on sale, brought to us by the Gottfried Krueger Brewing Company. Prior to this, there were canned foods, but canned beer was a new concept. This invention catipulted the success of Krueger’s Brewery to one of the top selling beer makers in America, right up there with Anheuser-Busch, Pabst and Schlitz. And why not! The Consumer doesn’t need to pay a deposit, cans were easier to stack, more durable and took less time to chill. In 2015 Esquire mag rated Dale’s Pale Ale is the best canned beer.
Jan. 27 1888 – NatGeo is founded. Founded in Washington DC, the national Geographic Society was made for the increase and diffusion of geographical knowledge. It is one of the largest nonprofit scientific and educational institutions in the world. Its interests include geography, archaeology and natural science, and the promotion of environmental and historical conservation. It is managed by a 21-memberboard of trustees that include distinguished educators, business executives, former government officials, and conservationists. Originally it was founded by 33 people that made up of a diverse group of geographers, explorers, teachers, lawyers, cartographers, military officers and financiers. Then the magazine came out. When Gilbert Grosvenor took over as editor of the magazine in 1899 it’s circulation increasd and was being read by 2 million people per month. It’s known for it’s staggering photography and always has been. These days it has a circulation of around 9 million readers. The Society sees itself as a guardian of the planet’s natural resources, and according to their website, it focuses on ways to broaden its reach and educate its readers about the unique relationship that humans have with planet Earth.
Jan. 30 1933 – Lone Ranger debuts on Detroit radio. Hi-yo Silver! Awayyy!
Jan. 30 1990 – The first McDonald’s opened in the Soviet Union. Folks were lined up around the block willing to spend several days worth of income to enjoy Big Macs, shakes and fries. There were about 10,000 customers expected to show up on the first day, but it wasn’t even close to that number. It was actually 30,000 people who showed up. It wasn’t about politics, it was about food. And this food, my friends, tasted like yummy freedom and capitalism. Like a boss!
Dec. 12 1946 – Tide laundry detergent is introduced. Well, what did you expect, the Europeans to come up with it?
Dec. 26, 1865 – James H Mason came to the rescue and saved all of humanity. He patented the coffee percolator. He’s like the Bill Gates of Coffee making things. There are some who dispute that he was the originator, such as sciencelens.co.nz (that’s a website in New Zealand, folks), but on December 26, 1865, my man Mason got the patent. Doesn’t matter who came first because possession is 9/10ths.
Dec. 28, 1869 – William Semple patents chewing gum. He was a dentist and his gum wasn’t sweet! It was made out of chalk and powdered licorice root with a hint of yummy charcoal.
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