1

Locomotive steam-engine for rail (Patent #1)

Image: National Archives at College Park - Textual Reference, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Between 1790 and 1836, the United States granted 9,802 patents that were not awarded on their merits and didn’t have an identification number. The Patent Act of 1836, which established the official Patent Office, aimed to make the system more transparent. Among other reforms, it introduced a numbering system for easier identification.

This system started on July 13, 1836, and remains in effect today. United States Patent No. 1 was issued to John Ruggles —an inventor, attorney, and senator from Maine—for improvements in locomotive traction.

2

Anesthesia (Patent #4,848)

Image: National Library of Medicine

How did patients endure surgery before anesthesia? Before the discovery of an effective anesthetic, surgery was synonymous with excruciating pain. Many large hospitals placed their operating rooms in isolated and remote sections of the hospitals so patients’ screams couldn’t be heard. Alcohol, opium, and even hypnotism were tried as methods of pain relief, but these had little effect.

Fortunately, we no longer have to endure such experiences, thanks to a Boston dentist named William T. G. Morton, who—along with Charles T. Jackson—received the first United States patent for an anesthetic in November 1846.

3

Buoying vessels over shoals (Patent #6,469)

Image: invented by Abraham Lincoln. Issued by United States government Patent Office, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

This may be the most unique patent ever issued by the United States Patent Office: it is the first and only U.S. patent granted to an inventor who later became president. Although at least three presidents—George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham Lincoln—were inventors, Lincoln is the only one who formally applied for and received a patent .

In 1849, he was awarded Patent No. 6,469 for a flotation device designed to lift boats over shoals and other obstacles in the water. While the invention itself had little bearing on his election, Lincoln’s inventive mindset and mechanical curiosity served him well during his presidency. Although the device was never commercially produced, his appreciation for innovation helped shape the nation's future.

4

Beehive (Patent #9,300)

Image: Bianca Ackermann

Beekeeping arrived in America with the early settlers, and by the end of the 18th century, bee colonies were widespread. However, early efforts met with only partial success.

The first U.S. patent for a practical and effective movable-frame beehive—which revolutionized traditional methods of beekeeping—was granted to American apiarist, clergyman, and teacher Lorenzo Lorraine Langstroth on October 5, 1852. His invention of the "bee space" laid the foundation for all modern beekeeping and hive management.

5

Elevator (Patent #31,128)

Image: Copie de gravure ancienne, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The New York skyline would look very different today had it not been for the invention of the elevator. The man responsible for the forerunner of the modern elevator was American industrialist Elisha Graves Otis , who, on January 15, 1861, received the first U.S. patent for a safety-type passenger elevator.

The concept of vertical travel was not new. However, the first successful passenger safety elevator was installed in 1857 by Otis in the E. V. Haughwout & Company building, a department store in Manhattan. Otis also held patents for other inventions, including railroad trucks and brakes, a steam plow, and a bake oven. But it was the elevator with its safety feature that brought him fame and his sons great fortune.

6

Lock (Patent #31,278)

Image: Parastoo Maleki

The idea of the lock probably stems from the time man first acquired goods he wanted to safeguard from others. However, the first commercially successful modern lock and key system was invented by American mechanical engineer and metalsmith Linus Yale Jr., who received a U.S. patent in 1861.

Yale developed several types of locks, including the Yale Double Treasury Bank Lock, created at the request of the U.S. government. These designs brought him nationwide recognition, but the invention that made him truly famous was the pin-tumbler cylinder lock . Yale died just a few years after receiving his patent. However, every lock and key produced by the Yale & Towne Lock Company since then has proudly carried the Yale name.

7

Barbed wire (Patent #157,124)

Image: Lexis Chadwick

In an age of video surveillance, barbed wire might seem obsolete. Yet it was crucial to the settlement of the American plains in the late 19th century—and it remains widely used around the world today .

On November 24, 1874, Joseph F. Glidden, a farmer from Illinois, received a U.S. patent for the first commercially successful barbed wire . While several earlier patents had been granted for wire fencing, it was Glidden’s design that proved durable, affordable, and easy to mass-produce—making it the dominant form of fencing on the frontier**.**

8

Air conditioner (Patent #808,897)

Image: Prasopchok

On those hot and humid days of summer, we should all be thankful for the work of Willis Haviland Carrier, often called the father of air conditioning. For his efforts, he received the first U.S. patent for a modern air conditioning system on January 2, 1906.

Air conditioning is a complex process that involves refrigeration, dehumidification, air purification, and circulation. Before Carrier’s invention, various individuals had worked on these individual components. But it was Carrier, an American engineer, who successfully integrated them —focusing on the crucial relationship between temperature and humidity.

9

Airplane (Patent #821,393)

Image: John T. Daniels, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Orville and Wilbur Wright are credited with achieving the first controlled, manned flight in history. For their pioneering work, they received the first U.S. patent for an airplane, issued on May 22, 1906.

Many had been intrigued by the idea of human flight before them. However, it was the Wright brothers who succeeded in building, flying, and promoting the world's first successful airplane —an invention that revolutionized transportation.

10

Bakelite (Patent #942,809)

Image: Call Me Fred

The modern plastics industry wouldn’t exist without Belgian-American chemist Leo Hendrik Baekeland , who received the first U.S. patent for a thermosetting plastic in 1909. Before him, others had attempted to produce synthetic resins but were unsuccessful.

Baekeland corrected his predecessors’ mistakes. The result was the first thermosetting resin —one that, once set, would not soften under heat. Bakelite was the first in a long series of resins that shaped the U.S. economy, paving the way for materials such as cellophane, acetate, vinyl, Plexiglas, acrylic, Formica, and polyester.

11

Frozen food (Patent #1,773,080)

Image: United States Patent Office (Clarence Birdseye, inventor)., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Do you know where the name Birds Eye Frozen Food comes from? From its inventor! In 1930, American entrepreneur Clarence Birdseye received the first U.S. patent for this type of product.

Food preservation has been a concern since the beginning of time. Techniques such as salting, pickling, smoking, curing, canning, and later inventions like the icebox and home refrigerator have all contributed to preserving food.

However, one of the most successful methods was developed and commercialized by Birdseye. His process involved quick-freezing meat, seafood, vegetables, and fruit in convenient packages without altering their original taste. Birdseye’s name became a household word, and his innovation created a multibillion-dollar industry.

12

Instant photography (Patent #2,543,181)

Image: Missouri Historical Society, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

When we think of instant photography, Polaroid is often the first name that comes to mind. But how much do we know about the man behind the company? American scientist, inventor, and co-founder of the Polaroid Corporation, Edwin Herbert Land , was granted the first U.S. patent for a one-step photographic process in 1951.

While on vacation with his family, Land conceived the idea for a camera and film that could produce an immediate photograph. In 1948, the first Polaroid Land Camera went on sale, though without much public approval. Polaroid continued to improve the Land Camera and, in 1965, introduced the affordable Swinger model , which became an immediate success. Throughout his life, Land was granted more than 533 patents, was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame, and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

1

The first stuffed animals

Image: ariesa66

In 1879, German seamstress Margarete Steiff made an elephant-shaped pincushion from a pattern she found in a fashion magazine. She soon realized that local children were playing with it, and thus the first stuffed animals of the modern era were born. Within six years, she sold more than 5,000 items, and by the 1890s, her company was producing a wide variety of stuffed animals, including dogs, cats, and pigs.

In the early 20th century, Margarete's nephew, Richard Steiff, designed the first bear with jointed limbs. In 1903, he presented his prototype at the Leipzig Toy Fair, where it was discovered by an American merchant who bought 3,000 units that were exported to the United States. Today, many of the stuffed animals created by the Steiff company over the past 140 years are on display in a museum in Giengen an der Brenz, Germany.

2

Theodore Roosevelt and the Birth of the Teddy Bear

Image: Pach Brothers (Firm), photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Almost at the same time as Steiff's stuffed animals, Teddy bears were born in the United States. In 1902, a Russian-born businessman and inventor named Morris Michtom was inspired by a cartoon published in The Washington Post to create what would become the most beloved toy in America. The cartoon depicted President Theodore Roosevelt showing compassion for a bear on a hunting trip in Mississippi.

Michtom made a small plush bear cub, sent it to Roosevelt, and asked for permission to use his nickname, Teddy. After the president's blessing, Michtom placed the doll in the window of his Brooklyn store with the caption "Teddy's bear." The success was so great that he began mass-producing them, and within a few years, he founded the Ideal Novelty and Toy Company, which would become the largest doll-making firm in the United States.

3

The smallest teddy bear

Image: Myshanah

Stuffed animals come in all sizes, but do you know how tiny the world's smallest teddy bear is? Here's a hint: it can only be seen using a magnifying glass ! In March 2003, a woman from Gauteng, South Africa, named Cheryl Moss entered the Guinness World Records Hall of Fame for creating the smallest handmade teddy bear.

Called Tiny Ted, this fully articulated toy with a movable head, arms, and legs measures just 0.17 inches . To give you an idea, it’s smaller than a coin and about the same size as the nail of your index finger. Can you imagine? This miracle of creativity and ingenuity can be visited at the Teddy Bear Museum on Jeju Island, South Korea.

4

The largest teddy bear

Image: SONIC

If we are talking about extremes, you might be interested to know that there is also such a thing as the world's largest teddy bear. In 2019, the municipality of Xonacatlán in Mexico broke the Guinness World Record, taking the title that had been occupied since 2008 by a 55-foot bear from Kansas City.

Xonita, nearly 64 feet in length , was displayed in a soccer stadium to promote Children's Day. The name Xonita is a portmanteau of the words Xonacatlán, the bear’s birthplace, and bonita , which means "pretty" in Spanish.

The hands of 60 artisans created the giant doll over a period of three months. About 2,030 feet of fabric and more than 2,000 pounds of stuffing were used to make it. She was dressed in a red blouse and a beautiful pink tutu. The nose and eyes were specially made with acrylic and fiberglass.

5

The most expensive teddy bear

Image: Bru-nO

Teddy bears may be an affordable toy for almost any child, but their popularity and the fanbase they have acquired over the years have also made them a coveted collector's item, even for adults. That's why the renowned fashion brand Louis Vuitton and the world's most famous stuffed animal company, Steiff, teamed up to create a luxury teddy bear.

Dressed in a raincoat and hat printed with the brand's iconic logo, this 17-inch teddy bear was auctioned at Christie's in Monaco in 2000. It was purchased for a total of €213,720, about 182,000 American dollars , by Korean Jessie Kim, breaking the record for the world's most expensive teddy bear. It is currently on display alongside Tiny Ted at the Teddy Bear Museum in South Korea.

6

To infinity and beyond

Image: Oxana Lyashenko

Teddy bears offer emotional comfort to both children and adults. These toys have a special ability to help relieve stress and cope with loneliness, not only on Earth but also in space, where astronauts must spend long periods away from their loved ones. That's why, throughout history, many teddy bears have traveled into space . Not only for sentimental reasons, but they also play crucial roles in education.

Magellan T. Bear was the first official teddy bear in space. In 1995, this stuffed animal, created by NASA and students of Elk Creek Elementary School in Pine, Colorado, boarded the Space Shuttle Discovery mission STS-63. Magellan’s journey not only served as a source of inspiration for the children but was also part of an educational project that taught students about geography, social studies, and science.

7

Teddy bears in popular culture

Image: Billy Joachim

As one of the most universal toys in history, it's no wonder that teddy bears have been portrayed in popular culture since they first appeared on the market in the early 20th century. Since then, they have been featured in children's stories, movies, books, comic strips, songs, and more.

For example, characters such as Winnie the Pooh, Paddington, and Corduroy have touched generations of children around the world. The song "Teddy Bears' Picnic" was a hit at the time and has been recorded by numerous artists, including Bing Crosby. In the 1980s, the Care Bears were introduced as characters in a series of greeting cards, and the success was so great that they soon became a franchise that included toys, movies, and television series. Finally, the movie Ted , created by comedian Seth MacFarlane in 2012, offers a more modern and edgier take on the world's most famous toy.

8

Hop on the rollercoaster

Image: Alexavier Rylee Cimafranca

Like many tourist attractions, the Giant Dipper rollercoaster at Belmont Park in San Diego was closed to the public in mid-March when the COVID-19 pandemic struck the world. However, to keep the 95-year-old historic roller coaster from rusting, it had to be operated several times a day. Instead of letting the cars slide down the tracks with empty seats, the operators decided to include some curious passengers immune to the coronavirus.

Every day, a dozen giant stuffed animals were placed in the attraction's 24 seats and secured with grab bars. From noon to 6 p.m., twice an hour, the teddy bears happily rode the rollercoaster . While the toys played no vital role in maintaining the machinery, they certainly served to cheer us up for the duration of the confinement.

9

National Teddy Bear Day

Image: Sung Jin Cho

Did you know there is a special day to celebrate our loyal stuffed companions? Every September 9th in the United States, we commemorate National Teddy Bear Day, a perfect time to dust off our first imaginary friends and pay tribute to one of our favorite childhood toys.

It is also a good opportunity to share with the children in the family, telling them about our youth and reminiscing about the past. They will surely have fascinating stories to tell, too!

10

Teddy Bears provide therapeutic benefits

Image: Oleksandr Skochko

Teddy bears are known to be loyal and comforting companions for kids. But did you know they can provide mental and physical benefits for adults too? According to several scientific studies, in childhood, teddy bears serve as transitional objects, aid in developing and maintaining sleep habits, and help children overcome stressful and traumatic situations.

As we grow older, teddy bears have similar effects, which is why many people treasure their beloved teddy bears even years after they have become responsible adults. Stuffed animals create a sense of shielding and protection and can help people who have lost a loved one or have experienced serious illness and trauma cope better. So now you know: don’t feel self-conscious if you still keep that ragged teddy bear from your childhood!

1

Frank Sinatra

Image: Dushawn Jovic

Frank Sinatra was one of America’s—and the world’s—most recognized artists, and even today, his name remains an unmistakable icon. We’ll never forget hits like "New York, New York," "My Way," "Fly Me to the Moon," and many others. And his last words were no less poetic than his life: "I'm losing," he allegedly said.

2

Groucho Marx

Image: Alan Hardman

They say humor follows comedians in all aspects of their lives—even to the very end. This was true for the great Groucho Marx, who passed away in 1977 at the age of 86 after bringing laughter to millions during his lifetime. As for his last words, there are two versions of the story, and both are funny! One version claims he said, " Die, my dear? That’s the last thing I’ll do! " while the other has him exclaiming, "This is no way to live!"

3

Buddy Rich

Image: Katherine Hanlon

Bernard "Buddy" Rich was a legendary American drummer renowned for his unique improvisational ability. He passed away at age 69 after brain surgery. Reportedly, his last words were a witty response to a nurse who asked if he was allergic to anything: "Yeah, country music," he said.

4

Donald O'Connor

Image: Nikko Balanial

Some artists never separate themselves from their work. Perhaps that’s what was going through the mind of dancer, singer, and actor Donald O’Connor—famous for his role in Singin’ in the Rain —when heart failure caused his death. His last words were, "I'd like to thank the Academy for my lifetime achievement award that I will eventually get." He still hasn’t received one.

5

George Washington

Image: Priscilla Gyamfi

George Washington will always be remembered as the Father of his Country, who led the Continental Army to victory in the Revolutionary War and served as the first president of the United States. In 1799, George Washington fell ill with respiratory infections that grew more severe over time. He passed away that year at the age of 67 at his Mount Vernon estate. According to historical accounts, his last words were an expression of acceptance: "Tis well."

6

T.S. Eliot

Image: anotherxlife

T.S. Eliot, the famous Missouri-born writer known for works such as The Waste Land and Four Quartets, passed away on January 4, 1965, at the age of 76. It's said that, in his last moments, the poet was reflective and serene, and his last word was the name of his love: "Valerie."

7

Joan Crawford

Image: Noom Peerapong

The great American actress Joan Crawford was much more than a pretty face. Her talent and complex personality were evident throughout her fruitful career, which was crowned with films such as Mildred Pierce . She died in 1977 of a heart attack. According to a biography, while a nurse was praying at her bedside, the actress exclaimed her last words: "Don't you dare ask God to help me!"

8

Humphrey Bogart

Image: JOSHUA COLEMAN

Say Casablanca, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, and The Maltese Falcon, and one face automatically comes to mind: the iconic Humphrey Bogart. He was 57 years old when he died of cancer in 1957. According to sources, his wife, Laura, was leaving the hospital to pick up their children from school when he uttered his last words: "Goodbye, kid. Hurry back."

9

Eugene O'Neill

Image: Gwen King

Eugene O'Neill, the celebrated American playwright, faced numerous health issues throughout his life, which worsened in his later years. He passed away in 1953 at the age of 65. As one might expect from a talented playwright, his dramatic last words were full of intensity: "I knew it, I knew it! Born in a goddamn hotel room and dying in a hotel room."

10

Emily Dickinson

Image: Gülfer ERGİN

The famous poet Emily Dickinson is one of our country’s literary prides, known for beautiful works such as "Because I could not stop for Death" and "Hope is the thing with feathers." She was born in 1830 and died in 1886 in Massachusetts. Her last words were as poetic as her life: "I must go in, the fog is rising."