1700s

1731 – Benjamin Banneker born in Maryland on November 9, 1731

1791 – Benjamin Banneker sent a copy of his very first almanac to Thomas Jefferson

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1800s

1872 – Elijah McCoy received his first patent for an automatic lubricating device.

1876 – Lewis Latimer used his drafting skills to create the patent drawings for Alexander Graham Bell’s telephone.

1883 – Jan Matzelinger invented an automatic shoemaker machine

1887 – Granville T. Woods invented the multiplex telegraph. 

1888 – Miriam Benjamin invented the Gong and Signal Chair for Hotels.

1892– Sarah Boone became one of the first African American women to be awarded a patent.

1896 – George Washington Carver became the Agriculture Director at Tuskegee Institute (University).

1897 – J. L. Love invented a Pencil Sharpener (U.S. Patent # 594,114)

1899 – G. F. Grant invented the golf tee. (U.S. Patent # 638,920)

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1900s

1906 – Madam C. J. Walker’s Wonderful Hair Grower became available for purchase

1941 – Dr. Charles R. Drew became the first director of the American Red Cross blood bank.

1966 – The Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science was established in Los Angeles, California.

1966 – Marie Van Brittan Brown and her husband, Albert, were awarded a patent for their home security system.

1988 – Dr. Patricia Bath became the first African American female doctor to secure a medical patent for her Laserphaco Probe.

1989 – Philip Emeagwali, a Nigerian born programmer, invented supercomputing software that created the fastest computation in the world.

1996 – Mark E. Dean recognized as an IBM Fellow. He was the first African American to receive this honor.

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2000s

2005 – When Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, Marian Rogers Croak’s invention helped people all over donate money using text messaging.