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George Eastman

Dry, transparent, and flexible photographic films

Through a combination of research, experimentation, and entrepreneurship, George Eastman, born in 1854 in Waterville, New York, revolutionized photography and founded one of the world's best-known corporations.

Harold E. "Doc" Edgerton

High-speed stroboscopic photography

If ever an inventor left vivid, visual evidence of his achievements, it is Harold E. "Doc" Edgerton, who created some of the most memorable photographs of all time. In addition, Edgerton was an educator, engineer, and explorer.

Thomas Edison

Electric light bulb

Without a doubt, the greatest inventor of the modern era has been Thomas Edison. Many of his over one thousand inventions have profoundly changed the lives of nearly everyone in the world.

Tomima Edmark

Topsy Tail

Inventor-entrepreneur Tomima Edmark left a successful career in marketing in 1989 when she launched her blockbuster hair accessory, the Topsy Tail. This extraordinary product earned her instant fame among the nation’s small-business set and put Edmark on an entrepreneurial path that continues to this day. She has since developed a series of additional consumer products, written several successful books, and created a variety of e-commerce websites.

Aaron Edsinger

Domo (Robot)

Robotics researcher, entrepreneur, and inventor Aaron Edsinger dreams of a day when intelligent robots may provide safe and reliable assistance to humans for a variety of everyday tasks. He has developed a humanoid, robotic torso, dubbed Domo, which brings that dream closer to a reality.

Willem Einthoven

Electrocardiogram

Dutch physiologist, professor, and inventor Willem Einthoven performed research and invented concepts for recording electrical heart impulses that greatly evolved the field of cardiology and led to the development of one of the most important diagnostic tools in all of medicine: the electrocardiogram, or EKG. His adaptation of the string galvanometer made it possible to accurately measure variations in electrical potential caused by heart muscle contractions and to record them graphically.

Clarence L. Elder

Occustat System

Inventor-entrepreneur Clarence L. Elder was born in 1935 in Georgia. As a young man, he decided to pursue a career in the field of electronics. He enrolled in and graduated from Morgan State College (now Morgan State University) in Baltimore, Maryland, and it wasn’t long before he had patented technology that has become ubiquitous in office buildings and schools around the world – the Occustat system.

Gertrude Belle Elion

Anti-cancer and other lifesaving drugs

In a career spanning over 40 years, Gertrude Belle Elion invented some of the 20th century's most significant lifesaving drugs.

Richard H. Frenkiel and Joel S. Engel

Cellular Technology

Today's cellular communications industry would not be what it is without the contributions made by Richard H. Frenkiel and Joel S. Engel, former employees of  AT&T's Bell Laboratories.

Doug Engelbart

Computer Mouse

Years before personal computers and desktop information processing became commonplace or even practicable, Douglas Carl Engelbart had invented a number of interactive, user-friendly information access systems that we take for granted today: the computer mouse, windows, shared-screen teleconferencing, hypermedia, groupware, and more.

Frank Epperson

The Popsicle™

The ever-popular hot weather treat known as the Popsicle™ was invented by Frank Epperson when he was just eleven years old. Born in 1894, Epperson was raised in San Francisco. One winter night in 1905, he mixed a soft drink made with soda water powder and water – a popular concoction at the time. He left a stirring stick in it and mistakenly left it on the porch overnight.

John Ericsson

Propeller

Swedish inventor John Ericsson, creator of the ship propeller, was born July 31, 1803 in Långbanshyttan, Wermelandia, Sweden. He was a born artist, gifted at the drawing board, and his talent in this area eventually led him to explore engineering. He and his brother, Nils, were highly intelligent and were noticed by colleagues of their father, Olof, when they were teenagers. They were asked to assist in designing a canal, a project for which Olof served as a director of blastings. By age 14, John was a topographical surveyor.

Ross Evans

Xtracycle

For many people living in the United States, the bicycle is considered a recreational vehicle, or perhaps an occasional mode of personal transportation. Those in developing or Third World nations around the globe, however, see the bicycle as an indispensable tool not only for getting around, but also for carrying cargo. Tucson, Arizona native Ross Evans noted this as he traveled in Central America while pursuing degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Latin American Studies at Stanford University. His interest in this pair of subjects led him to ponder the problem of how to improve the bicycle’s ability to carry heavy loads. He realized that the device's usefulness was limited in many situations, despite the benefit of it being an inexpensive, efficient, and environmentally safe and clean means of transport.

Robert Everett and Jay Forrester

Whirlwind Computer


Robert Everett and Jay Forrester were pioneers in the development of early digital computer equipment during the years many consider to be the most productive decade for computing technology: 1946-1956.

Ole Evinrude

Outboard Boat Motor

Ole Evinrude (1877-1934), inventor and entrepreneur, founded an industry and managed a thriving company while remaining one of America's most honest and generous businessmen.