Inventors That Changed America Complete Series

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On the Go — British train engineer Richard Trevithick gave the world its first steam railway locomotive in 1804. By 1930, railroad was the most popular form of transportation for both people and goods. Henry Ford was a brilliant mechanic with a vision: He wanted to make cars affordable to all classes of society, not just the wealthy. In 1907, he installed a moving assembly line, which not only made autos affordable for almost everyone, but also reinvented industry.
Wilbur and Orville Wright, who owned a bicycle shop, made history on December 17, 1903, with their first flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, and changed history because they preferred wings to wheels. The flight revolution continued when Igor Sikorsky left the ground for the first time in the first working helicopter in 1939. Robert Goddard expanded our knowledge of the universe with his invention of the modern rocket.

Medical Milestones — Herbert Boyer and Stanley Cohen unlocked the hidden secrets of DNA with genetic engineering, opening the way for the development of new drugs and increased food production, as well as cloning. Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin, revolutionized medical treatment, and won the Nobel Prize in 1945. Charles Drew pioneered blood banks by developing a new way to house plasma. He was also the first African-American surgeon appointed to the American Board of Surgery. Finally, Jonas Salk developed the polio vaccine, which was pronounced effective in 1955. He became known as the man who saved the children by ridding the world of polio.