National Inventors' Day

National Inventors’ Day is annually celebrated on February 11 to honor inventors of the past, the creators of the present, and encourages the architects of the future.

History of National Inventors' Day

On February 11, National Inventors Day celebrates design genius. It also delves into the history behind some of our most unusual inventions.

What do Ermal Fraze, Thomas Adams, Melitta Bentz, Patricia Beth and Stephen Perry have in common? They are recognized annually on February 11, along with the Wright brothers, Thomas Edison, George Washington Carver and Elisha Otis.

Many inventors go their whole lives without being recognized for their creations, while others are big names. Nearly everything around us comes from someone tinkering around in their garage, lab, or basement trying to find a solution to a problem.

Some inventions can be the happy accident of an observant person; Microwaves, penicillin, sticky newspaper, and bubble wrap might never have been used as it is today if it weren't for nimble or persistent inventors.

The proverb “Necessity is the mother of invention” says a lot about how inventors see life. They are a forward-thinking, forward-thinking group. Where would we be without pacemakers, traffic signals, elastic bands or coffee filters?

Although there are some inventions that we could be better off without. The DVD rewinder doesn't quite fit the required criteria. Or, they are too unrealistic. For example, yanking your watermelon stroller fridge along with the cooler and beach umbrella might seem a bit overkill. However, without the inventors, the world would be infinitely duller and much more difficult.

Inventors should keep track of their ideas, processes, materials, and ingredients.

In 1983, President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the first National Inventors Day and took place every year on Thomas Edison's birthday.

How to celebrate National Inventors' Day

Inventors across the country, bow your heads. Continue tinkering. Continue to find ways to cure, repair, and improve our daily lives. Take the time to acknowledge an inventor and encourage them to keep creating the next great invention. Other creative ways to celebrate this day include:

• Read about inventors and inventions that changed the way we see the world today. We recommend Charlotte Jones' Mistakes, Idea Factory: Bell Labs and America's Great Age of Innovation by Jon Gertner, and Wade Hudson's Five Notable Inventors.
• Learn about the patenting process and how to protect your ideas. Put your ideas to work for you!
• Watch documentaries about your favorite inventions. You might find out something about the inventor that you never knew!
• Use the hashtag #NationalInventorsDay to share on social media.