When is National Inventors’ Day?
February 11th is National Inventors’ Day.
What is National Inventors’ Day?
We should shake our head in amazement when we hear the name of Thomas Alva Edison. He invented the light bulb, the phonograph, and—don’t miss this—industrial research and development labs, among many, many other things. On Edison’s birthday, National Inventors’ Day celebrates inventors and how their contributions improve our lives.
Brilliant creators have made cheap, quick travel possible, and homemade bread has never been easier to bake. Your chair, the engine in your car, the ability to use VOIP for prank calls to your brother-in-law at 3:00 in the morning (he really needs to turn on Do-Not-Disturb), all these have come from the hard work of many inventors.
For the comforts and marvels of modern discoveries, we honor inventors the world over on National Inventors’ Day.
Fun facts about National Inventors’ Day!
- Edison held 1,093 U.S. patents at his death, but Japanese inventor Shunpei Yamazaki and Australian inventor Kia Silverbrook have since broken that record.
- Benjamin Franklin never patented his many inventions.
- The inventor of Vaseline ate a spoonful of the stuff every day until he died at the ripe old age of 96.
- Edison invented the tattoo pen.
How to celebrate National Inventors’ Day:
- Pick an inventor to study, like Edison, Nikola Tesla, or Leonardo Da Vinci.
- Necessity is the mother of invention. Find something that’s bugging you, and then invent a remedy. If it doesn’t work the first time, keep trying. If a fix already exists for purchase, consider making a cheaper version yourself.
What’s the hashtag for National Inventors’ Day?
Give your favorite inventor a shout out on social media with #NationalInventorsDay.