Articles by Elizabeth Lawrence

Most Americans recognize John Deere as the company behind the iconic green-and-yellow tractors. But before John Deere – officially known as Deere & Company – became the name of one of America’s best-known agricultural manufacturers, it belonged to the company’s… Read More

The US recently celebrated the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, recognizing two and a half centuries since the Founding Fathers formally broke ties with Great Britain and King George III. But long before the United States was even… Read More

From the automobile and the airplane to antibiotics and air conditioning, countless inventions have improved life around the world. Yet few have had an impact as profound as Johannes Gutenberg’s printing press. Gutenberg’s Printing Press In the 15th century, while… Read More

From writing the Declaration of Independence to guiding the Continental Army to victory, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and John Adams – three of America’s Founding Fathers – played critical roles in the fight for American independence. On April 19, 1775,… Read More

On July 2, 1776, delegates of the Second Continental Congress gathered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where they voted in favor of a resolution declaring independence from Great Britain and its monarch, King George III. The vote was unanimous, although New York… Read More

Leonardo da Vinci is most famous for his incredible works of art, among them being the Mona Lisa, the Last Supper, and Vitruvian Man. But da Vinci wasn’t just a legendary artist – he has also come to be recognized… Read More

While many of history’s most famous inventions were created more than a century ago, innovation did not stop with the light bulb, telephone, and automobile. Some of the most life-changing ideas were developed over the last few decades in American… Read More

Roughly a decade after the end of the American Revolution, a young Yale graduate by the name of Eli Whitney found himself stranded in Georgia. Unemployed, broke, and desperate to find work, Whitney met Catherine Greene, a local plantation owner… Read More

Most of the inventors throughout history were men, but in the early twentieth century, one woman made her mark in the male-dominated arena: Mary Anderson. Mary Anderson and Windshield Wipers Amid the chill of winter in 1903, Anderson traveled from… Read More

Orville and Wilbur Wright – most commonly known as the “Wright Brothers” – were the men behind what is arguably one of the greatest inventions of modern history: the airplane. The Ohio brothers successfully flew the first powered and controlled… Read More

Ever since the global pandemic – and perhaps a bit before – people around the world have become somewhat obsessed with disinfecting every surface and keeping oh-so-scary germs at bay. But what if getting some dirt under our fingernails is… Read More

On March 10, 1876, Alexander Graham Bell placed the first telephone call to his assistant, Thomas Watson. His message was brief: “Mr. Watson, come here. I want to see you.” Though the words were somewhat distorted, Watson could still understand… Read More