# Underappreciated inventions of the 20th century **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 11, 2011, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underappreciated-inventions-of-the-20th-century/574240 "2011-03-11T00:54:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underappreciated-inventions-of-the-20th-century/574240/21 "2011-03-11T03:46:51Z")
> [@TravisFromOR](#): > > 19th Century… If you’d read the book, you’d know you’re wrong. Gideon Sundback was granted a patent for the zipper March 20, 1917. [cite](http://inventors.about.com/library/weekly/aa082597.htm) ---
**Author:** ![TravisFromOR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cc9497/32.png) [@TravisFromOR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TravisFromOR)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underappreciated-inventions-of-the-20th-century/574240/22 "2011-03-11T03:52:07Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > If you’d read the book, you’d know you’re wrong. Gideon Sundback was granted a patent for the zipper March 20, 1917. [cite](http://inventors.about.com/library/weekly/aa082597.htm) I thought it was Elias Howe in 1851. Guess his “clothing closure” wasn’t zippery enough for historians, though. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underappreciated-inventions-of-the-20th-century/574240/23 "2011-03-11T05:36:57Z")
> [@TravisFromOR](#): > > I thought it was Elias Howe in 1851. Guess his “clothing closure” wasn’t zippery enough for historians, though. Howe didn’t market his invention at all, most likely because he was busy making and selling shitloads of his sewing machines. Whitcomb Judson later received a patent for a similar device, which he marketed with some success, but it was Sundback who came up with the design that we all know as the zipper. Sundback not only, by the way, invented the zipper, he also invented (and patented) a number of machines and devices used to make zippers. He was really an extraordinarily clever and inventive man. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underappreciated-inventions-of-the-20th-century/574240/24 "2011-03-11T07:01:09Z")
Extendable/retractable dog leashes The combination couch/recliner DIY furniture Q-tips Freeways ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 8:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underappreciated-inventions-of-the-20th-century/574240/25 "2011-03-11T08:27:23Z")
Garbage bags with drawstrings. Offset printing (on paper). Laser printing. Inkjet printing. TeX, LaTeX, PostScript, and DVI. ---
**Author:** ![Agnostic\_Pagan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c4cdca/32.png) [@Agnostic\_Pagan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agnostic_Pagan)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 9:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underappreciated-inventions-of-the-20th-century/574240/26 "2011-03-11T09:08:32Z")
Stay-on-tabs for beverage cans. Mute buttons. Caller ID and \*69 Collect calls ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underappreciated-inventions-of-the-20th-century/574240/27 "2011-03-11T09:11:03Z")
Skype et. al., finally we have video phones! ---
**Author:** ![pullin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c57346/32.png) [@pullin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pullin)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underappreciated-inventions-of-the-20th-century/574240/28 "2011-03-11T11:33:02Z")
Spandex ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underappreciated-inventions-of-the-20th-century/574240/29 "2011-03-11T13:21:18Z")
The electric light was 19th century as well. ---
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underappreciated-inventions-of-the-20th-century/574240/30 "2011-03-11T13:25:49Z")
…nevermind ---
**Author:** ![gallows\_fodder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8c91f0/32.png) [@gallows\_fodder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gallows_fodder)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underappreciated-inventions-of-the-20th-century/574240/31 "2011-03-11T13:46:58Z")
The hand-held hair dryer. The self-adhesive sanitary pad. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underappreciated-inventions-of-the-20th-century/574240/32 "2011-03-11T15:31:26Z")
> [@TravisFromOR](#): > > The light bulb, the steam boat, and the cotton gin. Are those 20th century? ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underappreciated-inventions-of-the-20th-century/574240/33 "2011-03-11T15:33:34Z")
PANTYHOSE! Too hell with girdles and garters. Sports bras. ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underappreciated-inventions-of-the-20th-century/574240/34 "2011-03-11T15:43:33Z")
Umbrellas that open _and close_ with the push of a button. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underappreciated-inventions-of-the-20th-century/574240/35 "2011-03-11T15:45:20Z")
I’m gonna say synthetic fleece. Invented in 1979. Extremely cheap, light, and warm. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underappreciated-inventions-of-the-20th-century/574240/36 "2011-03-11T15:50:07Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > Are those 20th century? I b’lieve you got whooshed. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underappreciated-inventions-of-the-20th-century/574240/37 "2011-03-11T15:54:29Z")
Ziploc™ bags ---
**Author:** ![JoelUpchurch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f05b48/32.png) [@JoelUpchurch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoelUpchurch)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underappreciated-inventions-of-the-20th-century/574240/38 "2011-03-11T16:11:07Z")
> [@Agnostic\_Pagan](#): > > Stay-on-tabs for beverage cans. I actually have the patent drawings for that from 1976 in front of me. Henry Petroski has a chapter on the development of aluminium cans in his book _Invention by Design_. I wonder how many people are around that have never used a church key? Petroski also has a chapter on zippers with drawings from Howe’s, Judson’s and Sundback’s patents. ---
**Author:** ![JoelUpchurch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f05b48/32.png) [@JoelUpchurch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoelUpchurch)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underappreciated-inventions-of-the-20th-century/574240/39 "2011-03-11T16:19:09Z")
The computer mouse. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underappreciated-inventions-of-the-20th-century/574240/40 "2011-03-11T16:23:29Z")
The microwave oven. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underappreciated-inventions-of-the-20th-century/574240.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underappreciated-inventions-of-the-20th-century/574240.md?page=3)