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Inventors Quizzes, Trivia and Puzzles
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Inventors Trivia

Inventors Trivia Quizzes

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64 Inventors quizzes and 655 Inventors trivia questions.
1.
  Inventions    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
A quiz to test your knowledge about some well known inventions (plus one random question about inventors). Do you know the what, the when and the where?
Average, 10 Qns, Jim_J, Mar 28 24
Average
Jim_J
Mar 28 24
352 plays
2.
  It Seemed Like A Good Idea    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
The following inventions didn't quite take off. Can you figure out what the invention was?
Average, 10 Qns, nmerr, Oct 22 23
Average
nmerr gold member
Oct 22 23
401 plays
3.
  All That We Have Done    
Match Quiz
 10 Qns
The United States is responsible for quite a few inventions used worldwide. For this quiz, all you need to do is match the inventor with his or her invention. Note that the inventor may not have been American, but the invention was created in America.
Easier, 10 Qns, Buddy1, Nov 28 22
Easier
Buddy1 gold member
Nov 28 22
518 plays
4.
  Amazing Inventors of Ordinary Things editor best quiz   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 15 Qns
A quiz for those who made life so much easier and made us think, 'Why didn't I think of that?'
Average, 15 Qns, Oddball, Mar 12 13
Average
Oddball
7802 plays
5.
  Ten Ideas That Didn't Pan Out   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
It probably sounded like a good idea at the time, but for some reason, these inventions just didn't catch on. Can you guess what the inventions were from the clues?
Average, 10 Qns, PDAZ, Feb 15 23
Average
PDAZ gold member
Feb 15 23
9370 plays
6.
Best of the Best  American Inventors
  Best of the Best: American Inventors   great trivia quiz  
Photo Quiz
 10 Qns
While making great sacrifices, many Americans have made amazing inventions that changed life forever and deserve to be on a "Best of the Best" list. Can you identify ten of them?
Easier, 10 Qns, ponycargirl, Dec 08 22
Easier
ponycargirl editor
Dec 08 22
1318 plays
7.
  Don't Try This At Home...   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Here are a few innovative and intrepid inventors who were killed by their own inventions. Were they foolhardy or brave? You decide.
Tough, 10 Qns, mlcmlc, Jun 11 23
Tough
mlcmlc gold member
Jun 11 23
7141 plays
8.
  Match the Inventor to the Invention   popular trivia quiz  
Match Quiz
 10 Qns
It is as simple as the title suggests. You match the inventor with the invention. Some are plain sailing, some are a bit harder. Enjoy!
Very Easy, 10 Qns, DeepHistory, Jun 20 16
Very Easy
DeepHistory gold member
2304 plays
9.
  The Story of Invention [1] editor best quiz   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
This quiz contains short excerpts from the lives of ten great scientists. Each excerpt provides an insight into the lives of the people who have made this world what it is.
Average, 10 Qns, Shrivats, Jan 12 16
Average
Shrivats
8298 plays
10.
  Did I Do That?   top quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Did I do that? It might be what the ten ladies in this quiz wondered when they invented something. And their answer probably was: Yes, of course, as if inventing is only a man's job. See what you know about these female pioneers.
Average, 10 Qns, James25, Apr 19 11
Average
James25 gold member
3809 plays
trivia question Quick Question
It was in 1957 Walter Fredrick Morrison of California took his obsession with UFOs to create what popular childrens toy?

From Quiz "Amazing Inventors of Ordinary Things"




11.
Match the first name of scientist or inventor to their last name on the right. The words in parentheses form a phrase or item that should help you find the proper match.
Very Easy, 10 Qns, DizWiz, Jul 11 17
Very Easy
DizWiz gold member
1729 plays
12.
  Female Inventors and Their Creations   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
These ten women from different countries made their mark on the world with interesting or remarkable inventions. How many do you know. Looks for clues in the questions.
Easier, 10 Qns, Creedy, Feb 07 15
Easier
Creedy gold member
1231 plays
13.
  Patent Wars - Disputed Inventions & Discoveries editor best quiz   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
We can readily identify people responsible for many inventions and discoveries. However, the reality is much more complicated; and other people oftentimes have legitimate claims to these discoveries. Let's look at them.
Average, 10 Qns, SixShutouts66, Apr 10 19
Average
SixShutouts66 gold member
Apr 10 19
1569 plays
14.
  Meet the Inventors: A to E   top quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Can you match the inventors to their inventions? These are things that are widely available in our society. Learn about inventions beginning with letters A to E. Have fun.
Easier, 10 Qns, Ishtari11, Oct 23 12
Easier
Ishtari11
3147 plays
15.
  Rooms in a House   great trivia quiz  
Match Quiz
 10 Qns
If you look around any room in your house, you will see something that somebody, somewhere either invented, improved, or adapted. Given an item in each room, match these with the inventor or person associated with the item.
Average, 10 Qns, spanishliz, Feb 06 22
Average
spanishliz editor
Feb 06 22
230 plays
16.
  The Story of Invention [2] editor best quiz   top quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
As they say, Science is eternal. Here's one more quiz on the lives of great scientists of the past, who have changed the way we lead our lives. Each question contains a short excerpt from the life of a great scientist.
Tough, 10 Qns, Shrivats, Nov 17 12
Tough
Shrivats
4297 plays
17.
  Inventions of the 19th century   top quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
A lot of things that we take for granted today had their origins in the years 1800-1900. How many can you recognise? (All information from James Dyson's "History of Great Inventions")
Average, 10 Qns, fringe, Nov 12 11
Average
fringe gold member
5277 plays
18.
  Dream the Impossible Dream   top quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
The people in this quiz all followed their impossible dream, and came up with inventions which changed all our lives. Note that there is a British bias to these questions.
Average, 10 Qns, rossian, Apr 11 10
Average
rossian editor
3126 plays
19.
  Crisis Averted!   top quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
In my every day life, I often silently thank inventors for their contributions; otherwise I'd have a crisis!
Average, 10 Qns, salami_swami, Feb 21 23
Average
salami_swami gold member
Feb 21 23
666 plays
20.
  Inventions Which Answered A Prayer   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
When you pick up a television remote, do you wonder how it came about? Do you see a traffic jam and say a prayer that someone will invent a device to make it go away? I have designed this quiz around inventions that we often take for granted.
Easier, 10 Qns, MoonWoman, Aug 17 24
Easier
MoonWoman
Aug 17 24
1676 plays
21.
  I Didn't Know They Invented That!   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Here are the little-known inventors of some well-known items. Have fun!
Easier, 10 Qns, bigjohnsludge, Aug 07 16
Easier
bigjohnsludge gold member
802 plays
22.
  Inventors in the Kitchen   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
The modern kitchen would be a very different place if not for these inventors and their inventions.
Average, 10 Qns, jcpetersen, Mar 25 10
Average
jcpetersen
1849 plays
23.
  The Second Mouse Gets The Cheese   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
According to a proverb, the early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese. Our history books are riddled with tales of 'early birds' who made the inventions and 'second mice', who got the credit. Let's explore some.
Average, 10 Qns, darksplash, Feb 10 20
Average
darksplash
Feb 10 20
266 plays
24.
  A Faster Way to Travel    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
'I need to go so much quicker, I need to go so much quicker...' What do these ten inventors have in common? All of them have been associated with the field of travel and transport in some way.
Average, 10 Qns, Kankurette, Apr 10 19
Average
Kankurette gold member
Apr 10 19
332 plays
25.
  Little Known Inventions   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 20 Qns
This quiz is about all kinds of inventions, many of which we use every day.
Tough, 20 Qns, bullymom, May 02 16
Tough
bullymom
4075 plays
26.
  Now Why Didn't I Think of That?   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
I must admit, I have no idea who the genius was who invented the wheel. Many inventions can be attributed to one specific person, but some are pretty arcane. Let's see what you know about these ten innovative ideas.
Average, 10 Qns, paulmallon, Mar 04 14
Average
paulmallon gold member
566 plays
27.
  Who Invented It?    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Following is a 10-question quiz on the inventors of some well-known objects.
Average, 10 Qns, ravenskye, Jun 14 16
Average
ravenskye
6430 plays
28.
  Inventions of the Twentieth Century    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Do you know who created some of the famous inventions in the twentieth century? This quiz takes you on a journey through 20th century inventions.
Average, 10 Qns, elenaran, Jan 30 19
Average
elenaran
Jan 30 19
4245 plays
29.
  Inventions of the 18th & 19th Centuries    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
A quiz about some not so terribly modern inventions that have changed our lives in both large ways and small.
Average, 10 Qns, logcrawler, Dec 26 20
Average
logcrawler gold member
Dec 26 20
435 plays
30.
  I Invented It But What Was It Again?    
Match Quiz
 10 Qns
Can you help these ten people remember what they are famous for inventing by matching the ten inventions with its respective inventor.
Average, 10 Qns, mask100, Jan 16 17
Average
mask100 gold member
626 plays
31.
  Ten of Those Minor Inventions    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
How would we manage without these useful little inventions?
Average, 10 Qns, stephedm, May 15 20
Average
stephedm gold member
May 15 20
2365 plays
32.
  Inventors You Have Never Heard of - until now   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
We are all familiar with really famous inventors, but there are many more out there who are a little more obscure but have contributed to inventions that we know, love, and perhaps even hate, today.
Average, 10 Qns, darksplash, Nov 11 13
Average
darksplash
614 plays
33.
  US Inventions of the 1890s - If You Can Believe!   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
I was surpised that some of these were invented so long ago. See if you can answer what the invention was or select the inventor's name or occupation. Have FUN!
Average, 10 Qns, habitsowner, Jun 03 12
Average
habitsowner
609 plays
34.
  Czechs in the Mail    
Match Quiz
 10 Qns
This quiz covers some of the most important inventions that were made by Czech inventors. Match the inventor with their most notable contribution to science.
Average, 10 Qns, jddrsi_raven, Aug 11 20
Average
jddrsi_raven gold member
Aug 11 20
226 plays
35.
Match the relatively unknown inventor with his or her commonly used invention.
Average, 10 Qns, debodun, Jun 24 16
Average
debodun
728 plays
36.
  They Changed the World    
Match Quiz
 10 Qns
In this quiz you need to match the inventor with the object he/she invented or helped to invent. Some of these folks you may have heard of, others may be a little bit obscure.
Average, 10 Qns, dcpddc478, Apr 17 16
Average
dcpddc478
644 plays
37.
  The Story of Invention: IV    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
"History is the essence of innumerable biographies". In this, the fourth edition of "The Story of Invention", identify the scientist in each question, on the basis of a short excerpt from his life.
Average, 10 Qns, Shrivats, Nov 29 18
Average
Shrivats
Nov 29 18
421 plays
38.
  Accidental Inventors - Legend Left to Chance   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Many inventors happened upon their discoveries by accident. Here's a look at the chance events that lead to their "eureka" moments.
Average, 10 Qns, amcoffice, Feb 21 23
Average
amcoffice
Feb 21 23
360 plays
39.
  9 for 10 Inventors    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Inventors of all kinds and stripes are worthy of our praise. Take the first letter of the first nine correct answers and use them to spell out the final inventor.
Average, 10 Qns, Joepetz, Apr 05 20
Average
Joepetz gold member
Apr 05 20
244 plays
40.
  The Story of Invention III    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Sir Isaac Newton attributed his greatness to the fact that he "stood on the shoulders of giants." The world today, is truly what the efforts of the men and the women of science of the the past have made it. Let us honour them.
Tough, 10 Qns, Shrivats, Aug 06 23
Tough
Shrivats
Aug 06 23
682 plays
41.
  You got to be kidding me!   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
When these inventions were first proposed the first reaction everyone had was "You've got to be kidding me".
Tough, 10 Qns, Christinap, Mar 01 13
Tough
Christinap
547 plays
42.
  Forgotten Inventors   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
There are famous inventors that we all learn about in school. But what about those inventors who have been overlooked or forgotten? This quiz is dedicated to them.
Average, 10 Qns, nmerr, Jan 27 18
Average
nmerr gold member
Jan 27 18
504 plays
43.
  Mothers of Invention - The Distaff Side   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Match up the female inventor with her invention.
Tough, 10 Qns, nyirene330, Mar 30 14
Tough
nyirene330
684 plays
44.
  A-B-C Of Everyday Inventions    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
They've changed the way we live - Life would be very different without them - But who pioneered these inventions? [A to J]
Average, 10 Qns, musicmonkeyman, Jul 19 12
Average
musicmonkeyman
1104 plays
45.
  Inventors Killed By Their Inventions    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Inventing gets the creative juices flowing, but in some cases, it also gets other juices flowing that may cause death. Here are a few questions about some inventors who have been killed by their inventions.
Average, 10 Qns, Trivia_Fan54, Mar 29 20
Average
Trivia_Fan54 gold member
Mar 29 20
227 plays
46.
  Why Didn't I Think of That?    
Match Quiz
 10 Qns
You will be given a list of inventions that either originated, was first patented in, or whose inventor was from a specific Canadian province. Match the name of the invention to the province they are most associated with. Good luck!
Tough, 10 Qns, apathy100, Oct 13 16
Tough
apathy100 gold member
229 plays
47.
  Inventing Questions    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Questions about different inventors and their inventions.
Tough, 10 Qns, pennie1478, Sep 09 11
Tough
pennie1478 gold member
485 plays
48.
  He Didn't Make It!    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
She did! How many of these famous female inventors have you heard of?
Tough, 10 Qns, Rowena8482, Apr 23 18
Tough
Rowena8482 gold member
Apr 23 18
536 plays
49.
  Inventors and Inventions    
Multiple Choice
 15 Qns
Inventors and inventions.
Difficult, 15 Qns, sportcon, Oct 23 20
Difficult
sportcon
Oct 23 20
1896 plays
50.
  Inventors, Scientists and Inventions    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
This is my fourth quiz and it covers basic inventions, scientists and those that have invented! Enjoy! All constructive criticism welcome. :)
Tough, 10 Qns, Lssah, Apr 19 11
Tough
Lssah
946 plays
51.
  English Speaking Inventors    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
You will be given information about an invention, and you choose the country that was/is the inventor's/patent holder's homeland.
Average, 10 Qns, 1MeanRick, Jan 15 22
Average
1MeanRick gold member
Jan 15 22
187 plays
52.
  Nobody Does It Better   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Who does it better than anyone else? Inventors, of course! So welcome to my quiz on inventors and inventions.
Tough, 10 Qns, heatherlois, Apr 04 18
Tough
heatherlois gold member
Apr 04 18
437 plays
53.
  The Inventing Quiz    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
How much do you know about the inventions that shaped our world as it is today?
Tough, 10 Qns, MTizzone, Aug 19 12
Tough
MTizzone
602 plays
54.
  Women Inventors    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
What did these women invent?
Tough, 10 Qns, slipstream, Oct 07 24
Tough
slipstream
Oct 07 24
716 plays
55.
  Who? What? When?    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
This quiz is about a variety of creations and inventions. It asks about the who, the what and the when of these achievements. Ready?
Average, 10 Qns, brandancollons, Jun 11 16
Average
brandancollons
546 plays
56.
  Mothers of Invention   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 5 Qns
Women have had good ideas throughout history, but have not always been able to take the credit for them. Here are a few who have.
Tough, 5 Qns, fringe, Jun 10 23
Tough
fringe gold member
Jun 10 23
662 plays
57.
  The Office "White-Out"    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
A staple of every office supply cabinet, any secretary who typed a letter from the 1950s forward can attest to the wonders of this product! See how much you know about it!
Tough, 10 Qns, woofi, Apr 19 11
Tough
woofi
364 plays
58.
  A Few Well-Known Inventors    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
This quiz will test your knowledge of some inventions that have shaped the way we live today.
Tough, 10 Qns, mthegreat, Dec 20 14
Tough
mthegreat
1030 plays
59.
  African American Inventors    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Throughout American history, Black Americans have invented, co-invented, and improved the design of many everyday things. Here is a list built around 10 of the inventors and their innovations.
Average, 10 Qns, JepRD, Apr 20 21
Average
JepRD
Apr 20 21
178 plays
60.
  Right or Wrong Inventors    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
What do you know about some of history's greatest inventions?
Average, 10 Qns, sharkfin1, Jul 13 15
Average
sharkfin1
323 plays
61.
  Wacky Inventions - Real Patents    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
I hope you enjoy this one on odd patents as much as I enjoyed researching it. Got a few chuckles out of it!
Difficult, 10 Qns, stephedm, Jun 09 15
Difficult
stephedm gold member
772 plays
62.
  Inventors and their Inventions Quiz for Experts    
Multiple Choice
 15 Qns
I'll give you the name of the inventor, you select his invention. Most of the inventions are widely known, and used.
Tough, 15 Qns, bigred62, Mar 21 01
Tough
bigred62
2257 plays
63.
  Who Invented That?    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
If you were quizzed on who invented common items could you get a 10/10, find out now!
Tough, 10 Qns, _tigerlily_, Oct 13 07
Tough
_tigerlily_
1746 plays
64.
  Early Inventions    
Multiple Choice
 5 Qns
5 inventors or inventions. How well can you do?
Difficult, 5 Qns, awkins, Sep 10 11
Difficult
awkins
2076 plays

Inventors Trivia Questions

1. In the 1960s, Ray Kroc, founder of McDonald's fast-food chain, created an alternative to beef hamburgers. Unfortunately this menu item lacked substance and sales. What did Kroc name this burger?

From Quiz
It Seemed Like A Good Idea

Answer: Hula Burger

Kroc attempted to cater to the Catholic population who refrain from eating meat on Fridays for religious reasons. What menu item did Mr. Kroc come up with? The Hula Burger, of course. It consisted of a ring of pineapple covered with cheese. Needless to say, it didn't go over well. He later came up with the Filet-O-Fish sandwich, a more successful meatless alternative.

2. The patent for a chair in which a hotel guest could sit and -- through the use of a small bell-and-light signal system -- summon a member of the waitstaff was awarded in 1888 to which African American inventor?

From Quiz African American Inventors

Answer: Miriam E. Benjamin

A schoolteacher, Miriam E. Benjamin created the Gong and Signal Chair for hotels. Her ingenious system was a precursor to the flight attendant buttons on airplanes. She was born in 1861 and died in 1947, living through the Civil War and two World Wars.

3. The first recorded game of baseball occurred June 19, 1846 at New Jersey's Elysian Field. While not conclusively proven, who has been generally regarded, for over 170 years, as the inventor of baseball.

From Quiz Inventions of the 18th & 19th Centuries

Answer: Abner Doubleday

(The N.Y. Mutuals edged out the Knickerbockers 21-1, in four innings). While what was to later become known as "The National Pastime, baseball was played by troops during the U.S. Civil War (1861-1865). It would be 30 years before the National League was formed in 1876, and the American League debuted in 1901. The two leagues met in the first World Series in 1903. Abner Doubleday (June 26, 1819 - January 26, 1893) was a lifetime military man, serving from 1842 until his retirement as a full colonel in 1873. He is recognized for firing the first shot in an unsuccessful attempt to save Fort Sumter from the Confederate troops. Doubleday fought in many Civil War battles (including Gettysburg), and also fought in the American-Indian, and Mexican-American wars as well. A graduate of West Point, Abner Doubleday was buried at Arlington National Cemetery in 1893. BTW: (Dr.) James Naismith is the inventor of basketball. Question & information provided by paulmallon

4. Felix Hoffmann, the inventor who created Bayer aspirin, was born in which country?

From Quiz 9 for 10 Inventors

Answer: Germany

Felix Hoffman was born in Ludwigsburg, Germany. He studied chemistry at an early age and quickly earned his doctorate at the age of 24 in 1893. He synthesized acetylsalicylic acid, popularly called aspirin, in 1897. He was able to stabilize the compound which made available to treat certain conditions such as inflammation and pain. While Hoffman is widely credited as inventing aspirin, the credit is not universal. Arthur Eichengrun, who was Hoffman's boss at Bayer, claimed many years later that he actually invented aspirin and Hoffman was just his lad assistant.

5. Francis Edgar Stanley was killed while riding in an automobile that he invented called the Stanley _______ .

From Quiz Inventors Killed By Their Inventions

Answer: Steamer

Francis Edgar Stanley (1849-1918) was killed while driving a Stanley Steamer automobile. "Stanley Steamers" were early automobiles, with this nickname because of their steam operated engines. Francis Stanley died when he drove his car into a woodpile while attempting to travel past farm wagons that were riding along side by side on the road.

6. According to the US State of Connecticut, Gustave Whitehead was an early bird who did something two years before a pair of bicycle makers got the cheese in North Carolina. What was it?

From Quiz The Second Mouse Gets The Cheese

Answer: Powered, controlled flight

Is there any development more hotly disputed than the 'first flight'? The Smithsonian National Air And Space Museum tells us: "On December 17, 1903, at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, the Wright Flyer became the first powered, heavier-than-air machine to achieve controlled, sustained flight with a pilot aboard." However, two years earlier in 1901 the German-born Whitehead claimed to fly for 1.5 miles - the Wright Bothers managed just 40 yards. In 2013, "Jane's All the World's Aircraft" backed Whitehead's claim. In supporting the claim for that first flight at Bridgeport, Connecticut, on August 14, 1901, "Jane's" refers to photographs, eyewitnesses, and newspaper accounts of the story. In 2014, the State of Connecticut introduced legislation to recognise Gustave Whitehead as "First in Flight." (As you can imagine, that went down like a lead balloon with the states of Ohio and North Carolina.) To offer some balance, in 2014, "Scientific American" published an article entitled "Scientific American Debunks Claim Gustave Whitehead Was "First in Flight". Meanwhile, it is claimed that in March 1902, Richard Pearse flew for 350 yards in New Zealand.

7. The green polyethylene garbage bag. Large, with variable methods of sealing (I still prefer to tie). It became popular in the 50s after hitting the streets (insert laughter here) after its invention in 1950.

From Quiz English Speaking Inventors

Answer: Canada

The garbage bag was invented by Harry Wasylyk and Larry Hansen in Winnipeg in 1950. The patent was bought by Union Carbide, who sold the bags under the name Glad. All of us who had the job of taking out the trash were "Glad" that they did, as the work of carrying heavy cans to the curb got a whole lot lighter, and there was nothing to bring back to the shed later that day.

8. The aviation industry have Sir Frank Whittle to thank for inventing a particular kind of engine often used in aircraft. What type of engine did he invent?

From Quiz A Faster Way to Travel

Answer: Turbojet engine

Whittle tried to join the RAF, but was turned down because of his height, so he trained as an engineer instead. For his graduation thesis, he wrote about potential improvements for aircraft design, and although he originally discussed the motorjet engine in his work, it was the turbojet engine for which he became famous. Whittle came up with the idea of substituting a piston for a turbine that extracted power from the exhaust, as it weighed less. The RAF claimed Whittle's idea would not work, but he managed to get sponsorship from the bank OT Falk & Partners, and the company Power Jets was formed. The Gloster E.28/39, aka the Gloster Whittle, was the first British aircraft to use a turbojet engine; it had been built specifically to test Whittle's engine, and it had its first successful test on 15th May 1941. Later versions of the engine were fitted with fans and an afterburner to stop the turbine melting.

9. Who was the first to fly in the Wright Flyer, the first successful heavier-than-air aircraft?

From Quiz Right or Wrong Inventors

Answer: Orville Wright

Orville Wright was the first to fly the Wright Flyer, which was designed and built by him and his brother Wilbur Wright. Willis Carrier developed modern air conditioning. Jimmy Doolittle was a pilot, and Glamorous Glennis was the name of the aircraft that was the first to reach Mach 1 speed.

10. Mary Anderson (1866-1953) gave us a vehicle invention that made driving a whole lot safer and dryer. Taking note of the times in which she lived, can you name it?

From Quiz Female Inventors and Their Creations

Answer: Windshield wipers

Alabama born Mary Anderson is most noted for inventing the windshield wiper. This came about when Mary was travelling on a trolley car in 1902. Because it was a cold and dismal day, she noticed that the poor driver had to drive with both sides of the car's front window open in order to prevent the window being covered in sleet. On her return home, she set about working on a device to remedy this situation. The windshield wiper was the result, and millions of drivers have driven that much safer and drier (and warmer) ever since.

11. The advent, in Europe, of printing with moveable type sees this Mainz-born printer's invention often head the list of the most important inventions ever. Who was this 15th century German inventor who answered the prayers of readers everywhere?

From Quiz Inventions Which Answered A Prayer

Answer: Johannes Gutenberg

Johannes Gutenberg (1395-1468), for the first time in history, made the prospect of affordable printed material for a wide audience a distinct possibility. Nothing like a good book on a rainy day! More immediately it is generally held to have played a key role in the Reformation. Karl Ferdinand Braun shared the Nobel Prize in Physics with Guglielmo Marconi for the development of wireless telegraphy. Gottlieb Daimler and Karl Benz were involved in the development of the automobile and the petrol engine.

12. For more than 50 years, millions of children have been delighted by the invention of an American woman called Ruth Handler. What did she introduce in 1959?

From Quiz Inventors You Have Never Heard of - until now

Answer: Barbie doll

Ruth Handler invented Barbie in 1959 and named the doll after her daughter. Since then, more than a billion have been sold. Barbie was similar to a German doll, Lilli, which was introduced in 1953 and was based on a cartoon character in the "Bild-Zeitung" (newspaper). The "Bild-Lilli Doll", as it was sometimes referred to, was to become the subject of a movie "Lilli - ein Mädchen aus der Großstadt", "Lilli - a Girl From the Big City" in 1958. In 1964 the US corporation Mattel (which had acquired the rights to Barbie) bought the rights to Lilli and production was stopped. By the way, chocolate-coated potato crisps (aka potato chips) are not a joke; an American company produced a limited run in Autumn 2013.

13. Howard Stapleton from Wales invented an electrical device called "The Mosquito". What was it designed to do?

From Quiz You got to be kidding me!

Answer: Repel teenagers

The Mosquito is a teenager repellent. It works by giving out a high pitched, annoying noise, that is audible to teenagers but not to adults. This is because you lose certain ranges of hearing as you get older. The idea behind it was that if an area, such as a shopping mall, was having a problem with gangs of unruly youths gathering then fitting one of his devices would encourage them to move on. He later utilised the same technology to launch mobile telephone ring tones which could be heard by teenagers but not their teachers or parents.

14. A breakfast food made of finely cut grain was invented by Henry Perky of Watertown, New York, sometime between 1890 and 1893, depending upon which reference source you read. What was it?

From Quiz US Inventions of the 1890s - If You Can Believe!

Answer: Shredded Wheat

Mr. Perky, who suffered from a gastric ailment, met a man with the same ailment who was eating boiled wheat with cream. This made the lawyer-cum-inventor think about how to make "wheat mattresses". A friend of his and he invented the machine to do so. In 1901 he built a plant in Niagara Falls, NY, called the Natural Food Company. In 1904 it became the Shredded Wheat Company and in 1928 it was bought by the National Biscuit Company (Nabisco).

15. Napoleon Bonaparte offered a prize to anyone who could find an easier way to preserve food other than drying and salting it. What was the occupation of the winner, Nicolas Appert?

From Quiz Inventing Questions

Answer: Chef

Nicolas Appert was a chef that came up with the idea for canning foods. He sterilized champagne bottles first and then put the food into them before sealing the jars in a hot water bath. By 1890, the United States became the world's leading producer and consumer of canned goods.

16. In 1780 William Addis of England produced the first mass-produced toothbrush based on a prototype he developed whilst in jail. He died in 1808, a very rich man, and left the business to his eldest son. What name has his original company acquired?

From Quiz Nobody Does It Better

Answer: Wisdom Toothbrushes

William Addis was jailed in 1770 for causing a riot. Whilst in jail he decided that the then current method for cleaning teeth (rubbing a rag with soot and salt onto the teeth) wasn't terribly efficient and so spent time creating a 'bristle' brush. He took a small animal bone and then put some holes in it. After that he obtained some bristles, tied them into tufts and threaded the tufts through the holes. When he left jail he set up a manufacturing factory and started mass production of his invention.

17. In 1930, Richard Drew came up with a sticky product that could be used by everyone. It made the 3M company famous and varied from scotch, masking, and duct. What did he invent?

From Quiz Meet the Inventors: A to E

Answer: Adhesive tape

Drew was hired by Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company (3M) to test sandpapers. In an effort to make sandpaper adhesive more affordable, he produced the first model of the scotch tape. Also, 3M went on to sell post-it notes in the 80's, thanks to pioneering and innovative minds like Richard Drew.

18. In 1922, Emma Read of Washington invented a device to allow babies living in apartments to get fresh air; Michael Jackson might have been a fan of it. Which invention was it?

From Quiz Ten Ideas That Didn't Pan Out

Answer: Window baby cage

Long before Michael Jackson dangled his child over a balcony, Emma Read invented a metal baby cage that could be attached to a window, allowing the child to be suspended outside the building. As "The World through My Eyes" weblog noted, "little junior will get plenty of fresh air and a six story drop to the ground".

19. Renowned for his work in early nuclear physics, Ernest Rutherford was born in which country?

From Quiz Dream the Impossible Dream

Answer: New Zealand

Rutherford was born in 1871 to parents who had emigrated from Britain. He died in 1937 and is buried in Westminster Abbey, London. He was knighted in 1914 and created Baron Rutherford of Nelson in 1931. He was responsible for identifying alpha and beta rays, and is widely credited with being the first man to show that the atom could be split. He trained many men who went on to great success in atomic science, including Chadwick, Cockcroft and Walton.

20. Who was the inventor of the first permanent wave machine, patented in 1926?

From Quiz Mothers of Invention - The Distaff Side

Answer: Marjorie Joyner

Marjorie Joyner was the grandaughter of a slave owner and a slave. In 1912 she began studying cosmetology and later worked for Madam C.J. Walker where she devised a machine which could straighten hair.

21. What did Léon Theremin invent?

From Quiz Inventors, Scientists and Inventions

Answer: The theremin.

He was born in Russia in 1896. The theremin was one of the first fully electronic musical instruments to be created. The unusual thing about a theremin is that is it NOT controlled physically by the musician. It was designed to play without actually needing to be touched.

22. Dynamite is used for commercial rock breaking and quarrying. It has many uses from mining to large scale construction. It was invented by a Swedish chemist. What was his name?

From Quiz The Inventing Quiz

Answer: Alfred Nobel

Alfred Nobel was born in Sweden and he later moved to the U.S.A where he built and managed a factory. He tried several ways to make nitroglycerin safer and easier to use. He in the end, however managed to mix nitoglycerin with a type of clay to make dynamite. (Ascanio Sobrero discovered nitroglycerin).

23. What catering invention did Richard B. Hartman receive a 1999 US patent for?

From Quiz Wacky Inventions - Real Patents

Answer: "Motorized Ice Cream Cone"

He received US patent 5,971,829 October 29, 1999 for a novelty ice cream cone. It turns the scoop of ice cream so you don't have to. I get the feeling you won't be able to eat the cone.

24. Who invented the wire coat hanger in 1903?

From Quiz Ten of Those Minor Inventions

Answer: Albert J. Parkhouse

He was an employee of the Timberlake Wire and Novelty company in Jackson Michigan. After hearing many employees complain about insufficient coat hooks he bent a piece of wire into two ovals with each end of the wire twisted to form a hook.

25. Who invented the modern lie detector?

From Quiz Inventions of the Twentieth Century

Answer: John Larson

He was a medical student at the University of California, and made this invention in 1921. It is also called a polygraph.

26. What invention did Paul Winchell patent in the mid-1950s?

From Quiz A Few Well-Known Inventors

Answer: artificial heart

A dentist from Seattle, Dr. Barney Clark, was the first person to receive an artificial heart in 1982. A doctor named William DeVries was the doctor who performed the surgery. This heart put in Dr. Barney Clark was a Jarvik-7, which was designed to keep pumping blood forever. Dr. Clark lived 112 days. Dr. Robert Jarvik, who invented the Jarvik-7 is now perfecting the Jarvik-2000, which is an artificial heart the size of a thumb. In the U.S., in 1998, heart specialist Michael DeBakey implanted the first electric heart.

27. A- Who invented the first controllable flying AEROPLANE (AIRPLANE)?

From Quiz A-B-C Of Everyday Inventions

Answer: Wright Brothers

Wilbur and Orville Wright made the first successful controlled powered flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, in December 1903. The twelve second flight covered a distance of 120 feet and an altitude of just ten feet. Richard Pearse, a farmer in New Zealand, may have flown his own plane in late 1902 or early 1903. However, unlike the flight of the Wright Brothers, there were no official witnesses. The locals who lived in the area recall seeing a powered flight by Pearse in March 1903. It lasted several hundred yards and wasn't fully controlled.

28. This native New Yorker invented the elevator in 1850. Who was he?

From Quiz Who Invented That?

Answer: Henry Waterman

Henry Waterman invented the elevator in hopes it would help transporting barrels of flour.

29. Liquid Paper was invented by _____ .

From Quiz The Office "White-Out"

Answer: Bette Graham

Bette Nesmith Graham was a secretary in Dallas, Texas who, as a "wannabe" artist, mixed paints in her own kitchen to make her now famous correction fluid.

30. In 1809, fourteen years after Napoleon had offered a reward to anyone who could find a way of preserving food, a French confectioner by the name of Nicolas Appert did just that. What did he come up with?

From Quiz Inventions of the 19th century

Answer: Canned food

Although he didn't know why it worked, Appert discovered that food heated and then immediately sealed in jars would stay fresh as long as it wasn't opened. Cans were soon in general use, although they had to be opened with a hammer and chisel as the can-opener wasn't invented until 1855.

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