Celebrating National Inventors’ Day
Inventors’ Day is a day for recognizing and appreciating the contributions of inventors. Each country that celebrates Inventors’ Day celebrates the holiday on a different day, and in the United States, National Inventors’ Day falls on February 11th.
History of National Inventors’ Day
As of today, about eleven countries have dedicated a day to celebrating inventors. In these countries, much of the history surrounding the holiday is quite similar: the government or notable public figures declare a day upon which the public appreciates inventors and cultivates a culture of invention and innovation for themselves.
In the United States, Inventors’ Day is still a relatively young holiday, with the 40th President Ronald Reagan proclaiming February 11th, 1983 as the first National Inventors’ Day. Upon doing so, the president then declared the purpose of the holiday to, “...call upon the people of the United States to observe this day with appropriate ceremonies and activities.” With this, National Inventors’ Day became a day during which Americans could look back on the history of American inventors, their contributions to society at home and worldwide, and honor other international inventors.
Fun fact: February 11th is the birthday of American inventor Thomas Alva Edison, famous for his contribution to the development of the lightbulb and holding over 1,000 patents.
Great Inventors You May Not Know About
We use products that are created by inventors every single day, but how often do we actually know about the inventors who are coming up with these products? Below, you’ll find a few great inventors that you may not have ever heard of, but you’ll surely recognize their creations.
Marty Cooper
The inventor of the Motorola DynaTAC, a massive 2-pound cell phone, is the reason that we have the smartphones that we have today! Before Cooper invented the DynaTAC, you could only talk on a landline, and back in 1983 to have one would cost you $4,000. While we’ve come a long way since the DynaTAC, it’s safe to say that we should all thank Marty Cooper for coming up with the first mobile phone.
Nick Woodman
If you’ve ever watched footage of someone barreling down a mountain on their mountain bike from their own perspective, you’re likely watching footage from a GoPro. Nick Woodman is the inventor of the GoPro Hero, a light-weight, wearable, action camera. This camera is popular in extreme sports and with those who like to capture their adventures.
Marie Van Brittan Brown
Home security systems are becoming increasingly popular as the cost of technology lowers and becomes more affordable for people. However, did you know that the first home security system was invented by a nurse? Her patented system that included a camera, monitors, a two-way microphone, and an alarm button that contacted the police eventually led us to the high-tech surveillance and home security systems that we use today in our homes and businesses.
Crowdfunding Our Innovative Designs
At UT Wire, we strive to invent well-designed, yet affordable cable management products for everyone. However, there’s no denying that producing a brand-new product costs a considerable amount of money, especially if you want it to be well-made. Competition is high in the market, and to make sure what we envision is what our fans want, we decided to go the crowdfunding route with Kickstarter and test the waters with two of our ideas. Doing so not only helps us fund production, but also provided us with invaluable and immediate feedback from users worldwide.
Our first Kickstarter campaign was the Pocket for Everyday back in 2019. Our lightweight, personal cable and accessory folder is designed to help keep you organized and prepared without weighing you down. With a sleek design and the core functionality combined, we were able to get 300 backers who pledged $12,285 to help us bring this product to the market.
Then in 2020, we decided it was time to start a new Kickstarter campaign for our Pocket for Smartphone. We presented our origami-inspired, collapsible design that transforms between a phone stand and an accessory case within seconds. This second campaign was backed by over 500 people and allowed us to raise $20,919 to help bring our project to life.
We’re thankful for platforms like Kickstarter that provide creators, inventors, and innovators a platform to showcase their ideas and get the funding they need to make their inventions a reality. This upcoming National Inventors’ Day, let’s take the opportunity to honor the innovation and ingenuity of creators of then and now as we continue inventing.