6 Changes And Inventions Indiana Contributed To The History Of The World

Way back in 1911, during the first-ever Indianapolis 500, driver Ray Harroun was going to do something unheard of: while all the other cars were fitted with two seats - one for the driver and the other for a navigator - his was only fitted with one. This meant there was no room for a navigator, so how exactly would he know if anyone was coming up behind him? His solution was simple, but groundbreaking: he stuck a mirror to the cowling (an air escape on the hood of a vehicle) of his car. Thus, the rear-view mirror was born, albeit in its most rudimentary sense. Never mind that he said it was "all but useless" in that particular moment thanks to being rigorously shaken about during the race.

Speaking of cars and good times, the reason you can't get away with having certain alcohol-based good times and then go drive your car is thanks in part to an Indiana invention. In 1938, an Indiana University Medical School professor came up with the "Drunkometer". It worked like this: a person would blow air into a balloon. The balloon was then emptied into a chemical solution which, if there was alcohol in the person's breath, would change color. In the mid-50s, another IU professor and colleague perfected the tool by creating the portable and easy-to-use Breathalyzer, changing the world of driving and driving safety forever. It's hard to know how many lives this invention has saved, but we're proud it's from here!

In 2011, an Indiana resident found a litter of feral kittens in a tool shed in Bloomington. The runt of the litter was clearly not all there: she had genetic disorders and was disfigured, but that didn't stop resident Mike Bridavsky from plucking her right up and loving her anyway. Her unusual appearance and downright PRECIOUS FACE earned the love of the world, and to this day, Lil' Bub is an Indiana native that brings joy to the world in droves. Seriously. Just look at her.

One of the most popular, well-known shoe brands in the world came from the Hoosier State! From the 1920s to the 1960s, these shoes were a staple in the world of basketball. However, when athletes began switching from Chuck Taylors to Adidas as their shoe of choice in the 60s, that wasn't the end of the line for Chuck Taylors: they were soon adopted by the punk underground scene, and to this day, they are an iconic brand you see EVERYWHERE. Who knew they were all ours?

You know that phrase "the greatest thing since sliced bread"? Well, we can thank the Hoosier State for being the birthplace of commercially-sold sliced loaves of bread, having been originally baked and sold as Wonder Bread in Indianapolis in 1921. Every sandwich you've ever enjoyed has Wonder Bread and its oddly groundbreaking "technology" to thank for it. PB&Js just wouldn't be the same without it!

Okay, so, we saved the best (or maybe most delicious, since we're pretty sure Lil Bub is the best) for last: sliced. Bacon. In the 1920s, a company by the name of Kingan & Co. introduced packaged sliced bacon for sale via the brand name Reliable. It was an instant hit, since bacon is wonderful in literally everything, and we are probably prouder than we should be that sliced bacon is a household breakfast staple from Indiana.