1

Swim fins

Image: NEOM

If you don’t know who invented swim fins, this one might startle you! Before he was flying kites in thunderstorms, Benjamin Franklin was just an 11-year-old boy who loved to swim.

He invented early swim fins, but not the kind we wear on our feet. He designed wooden paddles with thumb holes that could be held in the hands to help propel a swimmer through the water faster. He also tried strapping fins to his feet, but found them less effective and even painful.

2

Popsicles

Image: Jill Wellington

The brand Popsicle tells the legendary story: eleven-year-old Frank Epperson left his soda drink with a stirring stick on the porch overnight. When he returned the next morning, he discovered a brilliant idea— frozen juice on a stick !

Originally named the "Epsicle" (after himself), the invention was patented in the 1920s. His children called them "Pop’s ’sicles," and the name Popsicle stuck.

3

Earmuffs

Image: Ellen Kerbey

Chester Greenwood couldn’t endure Maine winters. At 15 years old, his ears got cold, and he didn’t like the feeling of wool hats on his skin. So he devised a creative solution: his grandmother sewed beaver fur onto a wire headband that he shaped into circular ear loops.

That invention was later patented in the 1870s, becoming the world’s first earmuffs, according to historical records.

4

Toy trucks

Image: Allison Astorga

Using bottle caps, cardboard, and ingenuity, Robert W. Patch created a toy truck that could transform into multiple styles: a dump truck, flatbed, or box truck. And he was only 5 years old.

The modular vehicle concept was so compelling that his father, who happened to be a patent attorney, filed for official recognition. By the time Patch turned six, he had been granted a U.S. patent, making him one of the youngest inventors in history.

5

Superman

Image: Esteban López

Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster were both high school students when they came up with the idea for the Man of Steel in 1933.

They created Superman as the ultimate underdog: an alien orphan who fights for justice. The character was sold to Action Comics in 1938, launching the entire superhero genre.

6

Hot seat

Image: Erik Mclean

A heartbreaking story of a baby dying after being left inside a hot car reached Bishop Curry V when he was 10 years old.

This inspired him to design a device he called Oasis (often referred to in the media as the "Hot Seat"). His invention detects rising temperatures in a car, blows cool air, and alerts parents and emergency services.

7

Water skis

Image: Wyatt Harrom

Ralph Samuelson was a teenager when he had an idea: if people could ski on snow, why not on water? In the early 1920s, he took two pine staves , curved the tips using boiling water , and hit the lake with his brother, towing him behind a motorboat.

After many belly flops, he figured out the proper posture and became the first water skier in history. Although he never patented his creation, he spent years performing and became known as the "Father of Water Skiing."

8

Trampolines

Image: Jasper Garratt

Who knew? George Nissen was just 16 when he devised the bouncy fun. In the early 1930s, he watched circus trapeze artists drop and land into safety nets and realized: what if you could bounce back ?

Working out of his parents’ garage, he stretched canvas across a frame and added springs. Initially, trampolines were used for gymnastics training, but even NASA later adopted them to train astronauts.

9

Makin’ Bacon

Image: Polina Tankilevitch

Michigan native Abbey Fleck did not invent bacon itself, but at 8 years old, she had grown tired of soggy bacon and paper towels. She brainstormed a simpler solution: hang the bacon while it cooked, allowing grease to drip away cleanly.

Together with her dad, she built a prototype in the 1990s and earned a U.S. patent for the microwavable "Makin’ Bacon" tray. It became a retail hit .

10

Wristies

Image: Valeriy Borzov

Cold, wet sleeves are a winter misery. 10-year-old Kathryn Gregory grew frustrated with snow slipping between her mittens and coat sleeves, so she sewed together a pair of warm fleece tubes to cover the gap between glove and sleeve .

She called them Wristies. Her invention was such a hit with friends and family that her Girl Scout troop encouraged her to patent it—and she did! Kathryn became one of the youngest inventors to receive a U.S. patent.

11

Crayon holders

Image: AlexanderStein

Ever struggled to hold a crayon that’s worn down to a stub? So did 11-year-old Cassidy Goldstein. She noticed how frustrating tiny crayons could be, especially for kids just learning to grip.

She came up with a simple solution: a plastic cylinder that could hold broken or short crayons , making them easier to use. Patenting the design earned Cassidy the Youth Inventor of the Year Award.

1

California

All across the Americas, we can find places named after fictional and mythical locations, a result of the arrival of European explorers on the unknown continents. In 1533, Hernán Cortés arrived in what is now Baja California, Mexico. Mistakenly believing that the peninsula was an island, coupled with the arid landscape and the rumor of abundant gold, he named it after an island from the book Las Sergas de Esplandián (The Adventures of Esplandián).

This novel, written by Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo in 1510, features the island of California , governed by the queen Calafia (a play on the Arab calipha , a title given to leaders and rulers). The fictional California is rich in gold and is described as a terrestrial paradise near the Indies, so, despite not being an island, the real California was aptly named.

2

Louisiana

Before being the name of a state, Louisiana designated all the French territories west of the Mississippi River , covering either the whole or part of 15 current U.S. states, including Arkansas, Iowa, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Missouri, among others. Originally named La Louisiane (‘the land of Louis’), the name was given to the Mississippi basin by the French explorer René-Robert Cavelier in 1682.

Who was Louis? Sixteen kings of France had the name Louis, but this territory was named after Louis XIV, also known as "The Sun King" . During his 72-year-long reign, still the longest of any monarch in history, France greatly expanded its colonial territories, among which was Louisiana. After the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, the anglicized name remained, but only for a much smaller portion of land, which gained statehood in 1812.

3

Florida

One of the European strategies for naming territories was to reference the day of arrival, a practice often used by the Spanish , and evidenced by the many places named after Catholic saints. Florida is an example of this custom.

Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León arrived in the territory around the time of Easter while looking for the mythical fountain of youth. In Spanish, Easter is sometimes called La Pascua florida (‘the flowery Easter’) because it usually falls in spring, which led Ponce de León to name the territory La Florida .

4

Maine

There is more than one theory for the origin of Maine, and there is no certain answer. While many claim that ‘Maine’ is derived from ‘main land’, there is another widely supported theory that makes a connection with a French province, and that is backed up by the enormous influence of Acadian French people in the state of Maine .

According to this theory, the Maine territory was named after a French province of the same name —nowadays the region of Sarthe and Mayenne— in turn named after the ancient Cenomani Gaulish tribe.

5

Vermont

Although the Vermont territory was initially explored by the French, it might come as a surprise to know that its French name was given by an English-speaking American . In 1777, the territory declared independence from Britain and constituted a new republic. At first called ‘New Connecticut’, it adopted the name ‘Vermont’ by suggestion of physician and scholar Thomas Young.

Young came up with the name, meaning ‘green mountains’, inspired by a local militia known as ‘the Green Mountain Boys’. However, be it ignorance or poetry, the translation was made into a correct but archaic French. While Vermont does mean ‘green mountain’, the most accurate translation would have been montagne verte .

6

Colorado

Originally, Colorado referred to the Colorado River, named by the Spanish during the 16th century. The area under that name was acquired by the U.S. in the Louisiana Purchase and through the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo , with the Territory of Colorado officially established in 1861 and named after the river.

Why was the river named this way? In Spanish, colorado means ‘red colored’ or ‘ruddy colored’. During the spring thaw, the melted mountain snow would mix with reddish-brown silt , giving the river a red hue.

7

Montana

This one is another case of a name chosen by English speakers. The word ‘Montana’ is an anglicized version of the Spanish montaña, ‘mountain’. But while there certainly are mountains in Montana, part of the territory consists of plains. Why name it so, then?

The Spanish had named the western mountainous region Montaña del Norte (Northern Mountain). When the Montana Territory was created in 1864, the name was suggested as a tribute to the Rocky Mountains . Some complaints arose in defense of the plains, and the alternative name ‘Jefferson’ was proposed, but Montana won in the end.

8

Nevada

The majestic Sierra Nevada mountain range is one of the natural wonders of the Western United States, so it makes sense that a territory would be named in its honor. Named Sierra Nevada or ‘snowy peak’ by the Spanish, the first record of the name dates back to 1776 , and was most likely inspired by a Spanish range of the same name.

In 1861, the Territory of Nevada was officially established, and most sources agree that it was named after the mountain range. However, the main part of the Sierra Nevada range belongs to California, with only the Carson Range being in the Nevada territory.

9

Arizona

The origin of ‘Arizona’ is disputed, with theories pointing towards it being the Spanish version of a Native American name. However, other theories disagree, claiming that it is a Basque name, haritz ona , meaning ‘good oak, given by Spanish settlers who came from the Basque region.

There is a final theory which, although heavily disputed, is supported by popular stories. This theory claims that the original name was Árida zona (‘arid zone’) , a description of the desert climate.

10

Oregon

No one really knows what ‘Oregon’ means, but everyone has a theory. Although there are stories that link it to Native American names or spelling errors, the first record of the name is from a 1598 Spanish chronicle, which refers to the territory as ‘_Orejón_’ (‘big-eared’) . Whose ears were being described is unclear.

An alternate theory links the name to French instead of Spanish, based on a 1765 petition by a British explorer that calls the area ‘ Ouragon’, a possible corruption of the French ouragan , ‘hurricane ’, in reference to the turbulent waters of the Columbia River.

1

1776

Image: Bureau of Engraving and Printing., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

During the American Revolution, the Grand Union Flag, also called the Continental Colors, was created to represent the colonies. It featured 13 alternating red and white stripes (symbolizing the original colonies), but instead of stars in the upper left corner like we see today, it displayed the Union Jack.

2

1777

Image: Bureau of Engraving and Printing., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

In 1777, following the Declaration of Independence, the Continental Congress adopted the first official flag of the United States. It featured 13 alternating red and white stripes, which still honor the original colonies today. Replacing the Union Jack, it introduced a new element that would be key for the rest of its history: 13 white stars set in a blue field, or canton, arranged in a circle to symbolize equality and unity among the states.

3

1795

Image: Nyttend, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

It wasn’t until 1795 that the flag changed again, when two more stars and two additional stripes were added to represent the recently admitted states of Vermont (1791) and Kentucky (1792). This version was the only US flag to feature more than 13 stripes and later became known as "The Star-Spangled Banner", since it was the very flag that inspired Francis Scott Key to write the poem that would later be the lyrics of the national anthem.

4

1818

Image: Michael Rivera, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

In 1818, the flag’s design changed once again. The 15 stripes were reduced back to 13 to permanently honor the original colonies. Five new states had joined the Union, bringing the total number of stars to 20. These stars were sometimes arranged in straight rows and other times in the shape of a large star, which earned this version the nickname "The Great Star Flag."

5

1912

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Each new state joining the Union meant one more star on the flag. In 1912, when New Mexico and Arizona were added, the number of states reached 48, so their stars also took their place. That year, President Taft issued an executive order setting the official proportions of the flag and specifying that the stars should be arranged in six horizontal rows of eight.

6

1960

Image: chris robert

The most recent design change came in 1960. After Alaska and Hawaii joined the Union in 1959, two more stars were added, bringing the total to 50. They were arranged in nine alternating rows of six and five stars, like the official flags you see displayed across the country today.

7

Flag time

Image: Jon Sailer

Beyond its official design, the US flag follows a set of protocols established over the years. One key rule specifies the time to display it: generally, the flag should be flown from sunrise to sunset. If displayed at night, it must be properly illuminated.

8

Weather conditions

Image: Anandu Vinod

The flag code doesn’t just set the time of day; it also indicates the proper weather conditions for display. According to the protocol, the flag should not be flown in bad weather, such as rain, snow, or storms, unless it’s an all-weather flag designed for such conditions.

9

Position

Image: Roger Starnes Sr

Of course, the flag must always have the blue canton in the upper left corner. But there are more rules for its position. When flown with other symbols, such as state flags, the national flag must be in the center and slightly higher. Additionally, if it needs to be lowered from the flagpole, the flag must never touch the ground.

10

Don'ts

Image: Alex Martinez

If you need to handle the flag, it’s important to know the proper way. But it's also crucial to know what not to do. Some of the key "don'ts" include never letting it touch the ground, avoiding creasing it, not writing or drawing on it, and one that might surprise many: don’t use it as clothing or decoration.