9 Incredible Inventions The World Can Thank Indiana For
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Tori Jane
Author
When people think of Indiana, what do you think they imagine? Corn, right? Corn, farmland, maybe some snow if they’re creative. Sure, we’ve all heard (and imagined!) those things, but we bet most of those folks have no idea that the Hoosier state is home to numerous ultra-successful inventions that changed the entire world forever. Here are our picks for a few of the most notable ones.
A Kokomo, Indiana man named Elwood Haynes engineered the first vehicle that ran on gasoline in 1894. Gasoline would not become unleaded, however, until the 1970s, after severe adverse health effects from lead in everything from gas to paint became clear.
Indianapolis company Eli Lilly & Co. was established in 1876 and went on to produce incredible medical breakthroughs such as Prozac and Cialis. The company was also the major distributor of penicillin, polio vaccines, and insulin, just to name a few.
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Ever wondered what that long bar across the inside of an exit door is for? The exit bar was invented following an incredibly tragic fire at a theatre that claimed the lives of more than 600 people who couldn't escape because the doors had been locked from the outside to prevent people from sneaking in. The exit bar, first released in 1908, ensured that doors could be locked from the outside but still be openable from the inside, saving countless lives in the decades since the deadly theatre fire.
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Another important invention by Elwood Haynes, stainless steel began its existence as a cobalt/chromium alloy around 1912. The metal is used in many products, such as kitchen appliances, to this day.
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Did you know that seat belts were dreamed up in Indiana? In 1922, an Indy 500 racer recognized that most fatalities occurred from drivers being ejected during accidents, so he requested that a harness be installed in his seat to keep him strapped in. In the late 1940s, the idea really began to catch on, and by 1964, seat belts came standard in most vehicles.
This little radio came out in 1954 and revolutionized the future of handheld electronics. Its small size ensured that it was portable, and from this point on, electronics began shrinking into smaller and more easily-traveled items. It would still take a while before things like Walkmans were invented, but we can thank the TR-1 for paving the way.
Introduced in 1938, this rudimentary version of an air conditioning system would later create room for the modern-day heating systems still used in just about every vehicle.
That's right: one of America's very favorite pastimes came right out of the Hoosier state. A man by the name of Louis Koch undertook a unique retirement project: he wanted to create a place for children that visited the town of Santa Claus, Indiana, to actually meet the man in red. In August 1946, Santa Claus Land opened for the first time - and the rest is history!
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In 1921, a young man by the name of Chuck Taylor was so intent on creating a better shoe for basketball that he began working for the Converse shoe company. He revolutionized the look, feel, and endurance of the shoes, and in 1934, Chuck Taylor All-Stars were born. The shoes are still one of the most popular choices of buyers to date.
Do you wear Chuck Taylor All-Stars? Are you surprised to find they came from Indiana? We were, too! What other inventions do you know about that were born in the Hoosier state? Tell us about them in the comments section below!
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