The Spanish word for a pencil sharpener is el sacapuntas, and the first rendition of this invention was very unlike the one that we use today. Walker, she manufactured beauty products for other African-American women using formulas she developed after working for a pharmacist who taught her chemistry. These Hispanic inventors, many of which toiled in obscurity have incredible stories that are worth sharing. Paper-bag-making machine. Born in Ecuador, Graciela V.O. Miramontes wrote a new procedure for the synthesis of the progestin norethindrone, the active ingredient for what would become the oral birth control pill. Born in El Salvador, Jacobo G. Maria was granted U.S. Patent 4,366,935 for a "Device and Process for Spinning or Twisting and Winding Yarn.". Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Miguel Angel Ondetti has been granted more than 100 patents, including U.S. Patent 4,105,776 for "Proline Derivatives and Related Compounds" also known as angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors to treat hypertension. Born in California, Ellen Ochoa was granted U.S. Patent 4,838,644 for "Position, Rotation, and Intensity Invariant Recognizing Method " and two other optical-related patents. Then it was up to Spanish-language media to get the word out. From award-winning astronauts to some of the brilliant botanists of the 21st century, we're celebrating these famous Hispanic scientists who've had a positive impact on their field. These inventions have changed the world in the last decade. Known for: Born into slavery, George Washington Carver became a foremost botanist, inventor and teacher . Some of the things you have used -and some you haven't- were invented by a Latino and you didn't even know it. What Were Other Inventions Made by Hispanics? Born in Mexico in 1850, Victor Ochoa invented electric brakes for streetcars. The following are some of the most notable and important Hispanic inventors. Her first trip was a nine-day mission in 1993 to conduct atmospheric and solar studies from the space shuttle Discovery, which you can visit at the Smithsonians Udvar-Hazy Center. Inventors Jacob Fitzgerald and William H. Silver applied for a patent for the 'potato-masher and fruit-crusher' which was designed to crush the potato through a series of small holes, similar to a garlic press. We recommend our users to update the browser. Do you have a favorite Hispanic inventor of your own? This invention helps to save the lives of high-risk babies born before full-term gestation in neonatal intensive care (NICU). According to the National Museum of American History, it was implanted in a patient while they waited for a real human heart to be available for transplant. 20 Black Inventions Over The Last 100 Years You May Not Know These Hispanic women changed the world. Her fascination with the field of optics came during her time as a fellowship student at Stanford University. The Beauty blender was developed to save performers from having to be pulled off the set when using an airbrush to apply foundation mid-shoot. Rea Ann Silva and her now famous invention. Between the 15th of September and the 15th of October every year, Americans celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month by honoring the histories, cultures, and accomplishments of Americans who have ancestors from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, and South America. Not only has she won numerous awards for her pioneering career and been inducted into boththe California Hall of Fame and the US Astronaut Hall of Fame, but also she has six schools named after her in four USstates. Victor Ochoa was a Mexican inventor and revolutionary who patented the electric brake in 1907. Mexican and Portuguese-American makeup artist Rea Ann Silva created one of the most iconic beauty tools used today. More than 40 transdermal products with ingredients like nicotine, hormones, painkillers, and antidepressants have received FDA approval. According to the Smithsonian Institution, Ellen Ochoa was the first Hispanic woman astronaut. Guillermo Gonzlez Camarena (1917-1965), an electrical engineer by trade, invented a chromoscopic converter in 1940 at the age of 23. Top List of Mexican Inventors. Born in Colombia, Miguel Forero was granted U.S. Patent 5,336,562 for "Polyolefin Yarns with Good Performance for Rugs and Carpets and Method of Producing the Same" and U.S. Patent 5,556,684 "Manufacturing Process for Synthetic Fiber Carpets Fixed by Fusion at Regular Intervals with Crests or Tufts, without Using Glues or Using Small Amounts of Glues, where Threads Do not Loosen and thus Obtaining the Carpets.". There she developed three optics-related patents, which help computers process information more quickly and efficiently. Gonzlez Camarena publicly demonstrated his color television with a transmission on August 31, 1946. (She created the first, Madam Walker's Wonderful Hair Grower, in 1905.) 31, 2021, thoughtco.com/list-of-hispanic-inventors-1991700. His early work with controlled drug delivery techniques, particularly his early thoughts on transdermal patches, sparked an increase in a study into innovative drug delivery systems. 4. 11 groundbreaking inventions from Latin America - World Economic Forum According to theSmithsonian Institution, Ellen Ochoa was the first Hispanic woman astronaut. Contrary to popular belief, the norethindrone version of the first birth control pill (Enovid-10) that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved in 1960 was created by a rival. With only an elementary school education, Black inventor (and son of an enslaved parent), Garrett Morgan came up with several . This is a list of inventors and discoverers who are of Spanish origin or otherwise reside in continental Spain or one of the country's oversees territories. The system's upgraded version, reCAPTCHA, is now used by almost all web servers. Courtesy of NASA, A few stories of often overlooked inventors and innovators in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month. A teacher in Galicia, Spain, ngela Ruiz Robles invented the first mechanical book way back in 1949. There, she created three inventions that improved the speed and effectiveness of how computers handle information. When in use, it would adapt black-and-white TVs to color without the need to buy a new set. First African-American female physician to receive a patent for a medical invention; inventions relate to cataract surgery and include the Laserphaco Probe, which revolutionized the industry in the 1980s, and an ultrasound technique for treatment. Uruguayan entrepreneur and biochemist Alejandro Zaffaroni created a system for drugs to be administered to the body through skin bandages. Allegedly, the idea of the naturally occurring flow system in a waterfall led him to take his diamond scalpel invention and combine it with an ultramicrotome to significantly improve the ultra-thin sectioning of electron microscopy samples. In honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept 15-Oct 15), we highlight a few of the Hispanic and Latinx scientists and engineers who made (and are making) important contributions to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). The"auto shutter Tico". His life story would make a great Hollywood movie. In the 1970s, Zaffaroni was granted patents for transdermal systemic medication delivery. These innovative creations and more wouldn't exist today if it weren't for the brilliant minds of these 10 African American inventors. Uruguayan-born Zaffaroni moved to the United States to pursue his doctoral degree at the University of Rochester. Even after his death in 2014, Zaffaronis work continues to live on. During the Spanish Civil War in 1936, Campos was injured and had to stay in the hospital for a long time. A fury erupted when the Washington Post reported last week that Former Heritage Foundation researcher Jason Richwine argued in his Harvard doctoral dissertation that Hispanics are genetically predisposed to have lower IQs. He recently won the prestigious Lemelson-MIT prize and currently works full-time as the CEO of Duolingo. "Top List of Mexican Inventors." Ruiz Robles was a dedicated teacher and educator who began her career at a time when only 25% of the female population knew how to read and write. However, we'll use the official U.S. Census definition for this compilation of inventors, with no distinction made between U.S. citizens and non-U.S. citizens. 1938-2009. When not in prison, he was busy filing for USand international patents and even incorporated the International Airship Company in Patterson, New Jersey, presumably to manufacture his Ochoaplane. She would later spend many years working as a makeup artist for musicians like Dr. Dre, Eve, Tupac, and Brandi, among others, during her time at MTV. Diamond knife. Alejandro Campos Ramrez was a poet, publisher and inventor from Galicia who became known world-wide for his invention: table soccer or foosball. #11. Downing who invented a public mailbox design that featured both an outer and inner safety door, ensuring that when a letter or package went in, it would be safe until it was picked up by the mailman. With an undergraduate degree in physics and a master's and doctorate in electrical engineering, she served as a researcher at Sandia National Laboratories and NASA's Ames Research Center and is the co-inventor of three optics-related US Patents (4,674,824 . Is Europa habitable? Dr. Tang is named on 84 patents and was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2018 for his co-invention of the OLED. We are fortunate to have his papers in the Archives Center at the National Museum of American History. Plasma engine for rockets. Jaime Escalante (1930-2010): The Best teacher in North America #9. Professor Arturo Arias Surez (1923-2003), a civil engineer who taught at the University of Chile, developed a method that made it possible for scientists to calculate the likelihood of damage from a potential earthquake in a specific area. Vice-admiral Pezuela y Lobo, the minister of the Spanish navy, received a letter from him in September 1885. And then in 1900, on December 23 on the outskirts of Washington, D.C., an inventor named Reginald Fessenden accomplished a remarkable feat: He made the first wireless telephone call. Juan Lozano's company Tecnologia Aeroespacial Mexicana sells the Rocket Belt for a hefty price. 8 Black Inventors Who Made Daily Life Easier - HISTORY Henry submitted her first patent, for a vacuum ice cream freezer, while still a college student in 1912, and moved to New York City in 1924 to found two companies to sell . In 1936, Ochoa returned to Sinaloa, Mexico, where he reportedly died nine years later. He would later, in 1907, sell the invention to the Seattle-based American Brake Company. 9 Latin American Women Innovators Shaking Up the Tech World - Remezcla (Originally published by VOXXI as "5 influential inventions by Latinos") Hispanic Heritage Month is coming to an end, and here at VOXXI we wanted to salute the great Latino inventors. Soon after, the first working prototype of an electrical submarine was created. In 1991, Ann Tsukamoto and her team patented a discovery that would change the medical field forever stem cell transplants. U.S. Hispanic Inventors - La Prensa Texas Ellen studied physics at San Diego State University. For "involuntary reasons" following the military takeover of Chile in 1973, he temporarily moved from Chile to Mexico. Liotta was the author of numerous scientific articles and books, including volumes on medical humanism written in both English and Spanish. A full list of Beulah Louise Henry's inventions would be a lengthy one she's known for 110 inventions and 49 patents, and the American inventor profited from all of them. The result was the creation of the term "Hispanic", first introduced in the US Census in 1970. Liotta is not only a gifted heart surgeon, but hes also responsible for creating the first artificial heart used in a human being! Because Yahoo was struggling with automated spammers, he donated the technology to the company without charge. Born in Costa Rica, William Vsquez Ulate was granted U.S. Plant Patent PP21,549 for a "Dracaena Plant named 'Lauren.'". Unfortunately, there isnt a lot of detailed information about his invention career since then but, according to his 2017 TEDxBuap biography, Hernndez-Rebollar returned to his native country and is now a professor and researcher at his undergraduate alma mater. He is also credited with developing clips for pencils and pens, which enable them to fit into shirt pockets. Please let me know if you have recommendations for additional Hispanic inventors and innovators to include in my database!