The most impactful invention by U.S. state
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It may seem as if we are regularly bombarded with inspiring innovations and discoveries in our contemporary times. Still, many new ideas and technologies forming our current world can frequently be traced back centuries in their origins.
The map below shows the most impactful invention by every U.S. state.
The most impactful invention by US state
• Alaska – Kayak (A one-person boat made of a light frame with a watertight covering), N/A
• Alabama – Electric hearing AID (An electronic device worn in or behind the ear for amplifying sound), 1895
• Arizona – Taser (An electric non-lethal weapon that is meant to incapacitate), 1923
• Arkansas – Sound-cinema (Sound synchronized with motion picture, as opposed to a silent film), 1993
• California – iPhone (Revolutionary smartphone from Apple), 2005-2007
• Colorado – Tampon (Feminine hygiene product), 1929
• Connecticut – Vulcanized rubber (Stabilized rubber created by the vulcanization process, mainly for automotive tire manufacturing), 1845
• Washington D.C. – Telegraph & Morse Code (The first official telegram was sent from Washington D.C. to Baltimore), 1844
• Delaware – Kevlar (Strong material used most notably for body armor), 1965
• Florida – Personal computer (IBM designed the first computer made for personal-use), 1769
• Georgia – Cotton gin (A machine used to separate cotton fiber from seeds), 1794
• Hawaii – Surfboard (Board used for standing while riding waves), 1769
• Idaho – Television (Device that receives signals and reproduces them on a screen), 1927
• Illinois – Cell phone (Known as “the brick”, the first cell phone was 2.5lbs and 10 inches long), 1973
• Indiana – Gas pump (Equipment used to dispense fuel into the tank of a motor vehicle), 1885
• Iowa – Tractor (Used mainly on farms for hauling equipment and trailers), 1892
• Kansas – Helicopter (Type of aircraft that can land vertically, hover, and fly forward and backwards), 1909
• Kentucky – Gas mask (Used to cover a person’s face as a defence against poisonous gas), 1914
• Louisiana – Binocular microscope (Used to get a microscopic view of substances), 1836-1850
• Maine – Dive suit (Breathing device used to explore underwater environments), 1834
• Maryland – Latex medical gloves (Used to prevent the transfer of germs between doctor and patient), 1894
• Massachusetts – World Wide Web (Made accessing online data easier for the general public), 1990
• Michigan – Assembly line (Efficient process for mass producing complex products), 1902
• Minnesota – Implantable pacemaker (First pacemaker that could be placed inside the body), 1957
• Mississippi – Nystatin (Anti-fungal medication known as one of the most effective medications), 1950
• Missouri – Vacuum cleaner (First known as a “pneumatic carpet renovator”), 1898
• Montana – Heart monitor (A device for measuring the electrical signature of the heart), 1962
• Nebraska – Ski life (Used to transport skiers up a slope to the top of a run), 1936
• Nevada – Blue jeans (A type of casual pant), 1873
• New Hampshire – The farmers’ Almanac (The oldest continually published periodical in the country), 1792
• New Jersey – Air conditioning (Appliance used to cool air in an enclosed environment), 1921
• New Mexico – Atom Bomb (Large nuclear bomb), 1945
• New York – Credit card (Used to electronically purchase goods and pay later), 1949
• North Carolina – Airplane (First man-powered flying machine), 1903
• North Dakota – Cream of wheat (Breakfast cereal debuted at the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago, 1893)
• Ohio – Automobile (First gasoline automobile), 1891
• Oklahoma – Parking meter (Used to collect money in paid parking zones), 1935
• Oregon – Computer mouse (Controlling the cursor on a computer), 1968
• Pennsylvania – Fire hydrant (Used for transporting water for fighting fires), 1801
• Rhode Island – Diners (The first dinner sold food out of a horse-drawn carriage), 1872
• South Carolina – Military submarine (Watercraft capable of operation underwater), 1863
• South Dakota – Cyclotron (An early form of the particle accelerator), 1932
• Tennessee – Supermarket (Community retail stores that sell produce and other food products), 1916
• Texas – Electric typewriter (Electric machine used to write characters on paper), 1912
• Utah – Electric traffic light (Used to regulate traffic, letting drivers know when to stop, go, or slow down), 1912
• Vermont – Paddle wheel steamer (Steam-driven paddle boat, famous on the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers), 1826
• Virginia – Camouflage (“Tree and bark” camouflage is used to blend in with the surrounding), 1978
• Washington – Microsoft Windows (The first point and click interface with pull-down menus and icons), 1975
• West Virginia – Steam Boat (Boat powered by a steam pump that provides momentum), 1787
• Wisconsin – Spacesuit (Not the first vacuum sealed suit, but first with link to space), 1950s
• Wyoming – Shovel handle (The first patent was described as “an improved shovel handle”), 1879
