Dates of Patent Trivia Quiz

The telephone patent (US Patent No. 174,465), filed on 14 February 1876 and granted just three weeks later on 7 March 1876, marked a revolutionary leap forward in communications technology. Alexander Graham Bell's application was filed just hours before Elisha Gray filed a caveat for a similar device, leading to a historic legal battle over credit for the invention.

Bell's patent described a method of transmitting vocal sounds through a vibrating membrane that converted sound waves into electrical signals that could travel along wires. The first successful telephone call was made on 10 March 1876, when Bell famously uttered the words "Mr Watson, come here, I want to see you" to his assistant Thomas Watson.

This invention paved the way for the modern telecommunications industry, with Bell's patents forming the basis of the Bell Telephone Company, founded in 1877. Despite its transformative impact, the telephone was initially met with scepticism, with many doubting its practicality. However, Bell demonstrated the device at exhibitions and eventually convinced the public and businesses of its potential. Today, the telephone is regarded as one of the most important inventions in history.

The patent for the incandescent light bulb (US Patent No. 223,898), filed on 4 November 1879 and granted on 27 January 1880, cemented Thomas Edison's reputation as one of the world's greatest inventors. Although not the first to work on electric lighting, Edison's design was practical and featured a carbon filament that could last up to 40 hours in a vacuum.

Edison's light bulb was a breakthrough in creating a long-lasting and commercially viable source of electric light, replacing less efficient and dangerous gas lamps. This innovation was part of a larger system that Edison envisioned, including the generation and distribution of electricity to make electric lighting accessible to homes and businesses.

Edison gave a public demonstration of his lighting system in December 1879 in Menlo Park, New Jersey, where streets and buildings were illuminated by his invention. This event captured the public imagination and accelerated the adoption of electric lighting worldwide.

Although Edison's patent faced numerous challenges and legal battles, his vision ultimately prevailed and the incandescent light bulb became a cornerstone of modern life. Today it symbolises innovation and has inspired countless advances in lighting technology.

The safety razor patent (US Patent No. 775,134), filed on 3 December 1901 and granted on 15 November 1904, revolutionised personal grooming. Invented by King Camp Gillette, the safety razor featured a thin, disposable blade that could be replaced without sharpening, making shaving safer, faster and more convenient than the traditional straight razor.

Gillette's invention wasn't just about functionality; it was a masterstroke of marketing. By selling the razor at an affordable price and profiting from the continued sale of disposable blades, Gillette created one of the first successful examples of the "razor and blade" business model. His approach ensured that the product was accessible to a wide audience while generating consistent revenue.

The safety razor gained widespread popularity during the First World War when the US military issued Gillette razors to soldiers. This not only boosted sales, but also introduced millions of men to the convenience of the Gillette design, cementing its place in everyday life.

The safety razor remains a cultural icon and a testament to the power of combining innovation with smart business strategy. Its influence on personal grooming continues, with modern razors still drawing inspiration from Gillette's original patent.

The patent for the modern zip fastener (US Patent No. 1,219,881), filed on 27 August 1914 and granted in the United States on 20 March 1917, was awarded to Gideon Sundback, a Swedish-American engineer. Sundback's "Separable Fastener" solved the practical problems of earlier designs by using interlocking metal teeth that could be opened and closed smoothly with a slider.

The zip initially found limited use, mainly in boots and tobacco pouches, but its potential for clothing and other products was quickly recognised. Its practicality was undeniable, offering a secure and easy way of fastening items compared to buttons or hooks. The term "zip" itself was coined by B.F. Goodrich in 1923, when the company used Sundback's invention in its new line of rubber boots.

Despite its utility, the zip met with resistance in the fashion world, with many sceptical about its reliability. Over time, improvements in materials and manufacturing processes cemented its place in everyday life. From clothing to luggage and countless other applications, the zip is still one of the most widely used fastening systems today.

Sundback's contribution earned him posthumous recognition, including induction into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2006, highlighting the enduring importance of the zip.

The Band-Aid (US Patent No. 1,509,478), filed on 24 May 1921 and granted in the United States on 15 January 1924, was patented by Earle Dickson, an employee of Johnson & Johnson. Dickson created the adhesive bandage to help his wife Josephine, who often cut herself while cooking. His invention combined a small piece of sterile gauze with adhesive strips, allowing wounds to be dressed quickly and easily without professional help.

Initially, demand for the handmade Band-Aid was modest, but when Johnson & Johnson began distributing free Band-Aids to Boy Scout troops in the late 1920s, the product's popularity skyrocketed. This clever marketing move made the product a household name and introduced millions to its convenience.

Over time, improvements were made to the design, including sterilisation and packaging for individual use. Since then, the Band-Aid has become an essential item in first aid kits around the world, with countless variations developed to meet different needs, such as waterproof or decorative versions.

The patent for the barcode (US Patent No. 2,612,994), filed on 20 October 1949 and granted in the United States on 7 October 1952, was awarded to Norman Joseph Woodland and Bernard Silver. However, it wasn't until the 1970s that the technology became widespread, following the development of laser scanners that could read the codes.

The first commercial use of barcodes occurred on 26 June 1974, when a pack of Wrigley's chewing gum became the first item to be scanned at a checkout in Troy, Ohio. Barcodes revolutionised retail, logistics and inventory management by enabling fast and accurate tracking of goods.

Woodland was inspired by Morse code, which he adapted into a system of lines and spaces to represent information. Over time, the technology evolved into the Universal Product Code (UPC), a standard used worldwide. Today, barcodes are an integral part of modern commerce and supply chain management.

The patent for Velcro was filed in Switzerland (Patent No. CH295638A) on 22 October 1951 and granted to Georges de Mestral, a Swiss engineer, on 15 January 1954. The invention stemmed from de Mestral's observation of burdock burrs clinging to his clothes and his dog's fur after a hike. Under the microscope, he noticed the tiny hooks on the burrs that attached themselves to loops in the fabric and tried to replicate this mechanism artificially.

After refining the design, de Mestral created a nylon hook-and-loop fastener and named it "Velcro", a play on the French words velours (velvet) and crochet (hook). Although the concept was initially met with scepticism, Velcro gained acceptance in industries that needed durable and easy-to-use fasteners.

The breakthrough came in the 1960s when NASA adopted Velcro to secure objects in zero-gravity environments, bringing international recognition to the invention. It soon found applications in fashion, sports equipment and even medical devices.

Velcro remains an iconic example of biomimicry, demonstrating how close observation of nature can lead to innovative solutions that revolutionise everyday life.

US Patent No. 3,541,541A was filed on 21 June 1967 and granted in the United States on 17 November 1970 to Douglas Engelbart and his team at the Stanford Research Institute. Engelbart's invention, originally described as an "X-Y position indicator for a display system", became known as the computer mouse.

The device was a small, hand-held box with wheels that allowed users to control a pointer on a screen. First demonstrated in 1968 during Engelbart's famous "Mother of All Demos", the mouse laid the foundation for modern graphical user interfaces (GUIs).

The computer mouse revolutionised human-computer interaction, making it more intuitive and accessible. Although touchscreen technology has reduced its dominance, the mouse remains a fundamental tool in personal and professional computing worldwide.

This patent (US Patent No. 3,668,658) filed on 22 December 1969 and granted in the United States on 6 June 1972, was awarded to IBM for the invention of the floppy disk. Designed as a portable and reusable storage medium, the floppy disk revolutionised the way data was transferred and stored.

The first widely used version was an 8-inch disc that could hold up to 80 kilobytes of data - impressive at the time. Smaller, more durable 5.25-inch and 3.5-inch disks followed, becoming essential tools for personal computing in the 1980s and 1990s.

While floppy disks are now largely obsolete, replaced by USB drives and cloud storage, they remain an iconic symbol of early computing. Their invention was a crucial step in the development of modern data storage solutions.

US Patent No. 4131919A, filed on 20 May 1977 and granted in the United States on 26 December 1978, was awarded to Steven Sasson, a Kodak engineer, for his invention of the digital camera. This groundbreaking device captured images electronically rather than on film, paving the way for the digital photography revolution.

The prototype, created in 1975, used a CCD (charge-coupled device) image sensor to capture black and white images at a resolution of 0.01 megapixels. These images were stored on cassette tapes and could be viewed on a television screen.

While the technology was initially slow to catch on, advances in storage capacity, resolution and affordability eventually made digital cameras mainstream. Today, almost every smartphone contains a digital camera, making photography accessible to billions of people around the world.