This Women’s Day, we’re talking about the entrepreneurial skills of women. Their resourcefulness and spirit of enterprise are behind some rather crucial inventions that changed the world. They fearlessly pushed boundaries, earning them a place in history and in our daily lives.
Here are a few of their revolutionary creations:
Beer
Does sipping on chilled beer make you feel uber-manly? Think again – for years, the drink was exclusive to women. According to the historian, Jane Peyton, some brew-tiful women in ancient Mesopotamia and Sumeria were the forces behind the invention and distribution of beer. They were also the only ones who were allowed to run taverns. So the next time you’re enjoying a mug of this delicious drink, raise a toast to these fabulous women.
Coffee Filter
German housewife, Melitta Benz, was the brains behind the human fuel that is filter coffee. In order to do away with nasty dregs, she rolled blotting paper into a cone and used this ingenious invention to filter ground coffee. Our lives have never ‘bean’ the same.
Monopoly
This source of endless family entertainment and many an intense feud, Monopoly is the work of Elizabeth Magie. An incredible game designer, she created the game as a critique of land-grabbing injustices and unchecked capitalism. Ironically, she was ripped off and only earned $500 for this amazing invention.
Wireless Transmission Technology
Hedy Lamarr was busting gender myths way back in the World War II era. This stunning Austrian actress invented a secret communications system for radio controlling torpedoes, using frequency hopping technology. Her incredible work laid the foundation for modern technology such as WiFi and GPS.
CCTV
Have you ever wondered if a woman’s got eyes at the back of her head? Well, now they’re everywhere. Marie Van Brittan Brown invented the system for closed-circuit television to help you stay secure. Our modern CCTV technology is built on her groundwork and is incredibly useful for surveillance in police and investigative work.
Kevlar
Speaking of keeping you secure, women have always got your back. Behind the safety of every cop, guard and even, cyclist is the chemist, Stephanie Kwolek. Her background in chemical compound research led her to invent Kevlar, the super-strong material that is used in bulletproof vests, bicycle tyres and more, and was patented in 1966.
Cobol Software
Another amazing invention, by brilliant computer scientist and rear admiral Dr. Grace Murray Hopper, is COBOL – the first user-friendly computer software for businesses. Ironically, this earned her the first-ever Computer Science Man of the Year award in 1969.
Ice Cream Freezer
This invention is the ‘cool’est of the lot! Nancy Johnson invented the ice cream freezer in 1843. A delight to squealing kids and the perfect companion to a romantic comedy marathon, the next time you’re screaming for ice cream, be sure to thank God for Nancy.
Another comfort food that you can thank women for is the amazing, satisfying chocolate chip cookie, first created by Ruth Wakefield. What can we say? Women have great taste.
Long before their time, they were bravely taking risks, and making strides in various fields. They often earned little or no credit, but that didn’t stop them from developing solutions and leaving the world in a much better place.
