Astronaut Ellen Ochoa, STS-110 Atlantis mission specialist, works the controls of the Canadarm2 robotic arm in the Destiny Laboratory on the International Space Station, April 11, 2002. The USPTO is currently improving our content to better serve you. The first incubators were used in France in 1880, but Lvanos design, called the Incuven, regulates temperature and reduces risk of contamination to babies. 1938-2009. Learn about these inventors who regretted their inventions. He was the first to transmit the human voice via radio waves, sending a signal from one radio tower to another. Domingo Santo Liotta, who was born in Argentina to Italian immigrants in 1924, became a pioneer in heart surgery. Guatemalan-born Luis von Ahn is regarded as one of the pioneers of crowdsourcing. She participated in four NASA missions and spent 978 hours in space. President Ronald Reagan expanded it in 1988 to a 30-day period beginning on September 15 and concluding on October 15. As late as 1979, NASA transmitted photos from Jupiter using his invention. 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 . Santiago Ramon y Cajal was a famous Hispanic inventor who was awarded the Nobel . As impressive as this was, the submarine's absence of a double hull and a diesel engine only limited its use to coastal actions. Mary Bellis covered inventions and inventors for ThoughtCo for 18 years. Guerrilla warfare was developed in Spain. File a trademark application and other documents online through TEAS. 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. A whole bag of letters could be destroyed by one good rain or snow. "The Hispanic whirlwind" that's what Ildaura Murillo-Rohde was dubbed for her work as a powerhouse advocate, nurse, therapist, and educator. These Hispanic women changed the world. You could hone your cooking skills by inviting family and friends over for aHispanic-inspired dinnerparty, host a Spanish movie night, or attend a local event put on by a Hispanic organization. Ruiz received a Spanish patent number of 190,698 in 1949 for devices with buttons that displayed the lesson materials when pressed and engaged. Most recently, Villafaa started a new venture, Medical 21, which aims to develop artificial blood vessels as a safer, less invasive alternative for coronary artery bypass graft surgeries. The"auto shutter Tico". He would later send his first color transmission from his lab in Mexico City on August 31, 1946. Like all other human ethnicities, Hispanics have their fair share of great minds and inventors. Ochoa also invented the Ochoaplane and the adjustable wrench. In 1881 he received a patent for inventing a method of producing carbon . NASA has much to thank the Spanish inventor. Born in Los Angeles, California in 1958, Ellen Ochoa is probably the best known example of a successful Hispanic inventor and innovator. And, on the 8th of September, 1888, it was launched. 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. A true character in his time, religion and . In 1981, ALZA collaborated with the Swiss business Ciba-Geigy, and the FDA approved the first scopolamine transdermal delivery system for motion sickness, Transderm-Scop. Born in Puerto Rico, Guanglou Cheng, Carlos A. Ramirez, and Mara Aponte were granted U.S. Patent 7,427,654 for "Degradable Polymides" for use in medical applications. The first publicly-announced color broadcast in Mexico . Born to a family of health professionals in Panama, Murillo-Rohde studied . He immigrated to the United States in 1884 and . Benjamin Valles of Chihuahua, Mexico, developed a system and a method for pre-forming cable for promoting adhesion to overmolding sensor body for Delphi Technologies Inc. Eventually they invented KalamSat: the lightest satellite in the world. With an undergraduate degree in physics and a masters and doctorate in electrical engineering, she served as a researcher at Sandia National Laboratories and NASAs Ames Research Center and is the co-inventor ofthree optics-related USPatents(4,674,824, 4,838,644, and 4,949,389). Those early . A more recent Lemelson Center connection was made with Manuel Manny Villafaa, who is briefly highlighted in the Centers Places of Invention exhibition and whose papers are in the Archives Center along with his heart valve collection housed in the Museums Division of Medicine and Science. Liotta is not only a gifted heart surgeon, but hes also responsible for creating the first artificial heart used in a human being! Kayaks were small, narrow boats made of wood, with a sealed sealskin cabin to prevent the rower from sinking should the boat capsize. Mexican inventor Victor Ochoa was also a Mexican revolutionary. Find upcoming programs related to IP policy and international affairs. His field is electrical engineering, and the sensor-studded glove was his doctoral engineering project. As part of the Smithsonian's celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15-October 15), I have enjoyed conducting research on historical and contemporary Hispanic inventors and innovators. He is best known as the creator of an electrical glove called the "AcceleGlove," which converts American Sign Language hand gestures into spoken and written words. Alejandro Zaffaroni (1923-2014) was a biotechnology pioneer. (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. Artificial Heart. She also contributed to creating three patents in the field of optics. The son of Puerto Rican immigrants, he was born in 1940 and grew up in the Bronx, New York, where he received a diploma from Cardinal Hayes High School. Von Ahn is also a co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of the language-learning software Duolingo and a consulting professor in the Computer Science Department at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He made a number of inventions related to high speed trains. Made from a material that is specifically designed to retain moisture, rather than repel it, the beautyblender gives the perfect application of foundation every time. He participated in the Apollo Project with NASA and taught at numerous institutions, including MIT, the University of Chicago, and the University of Stockholm. #11. Born in Guadalajara, Mexico, Gonzalez Camrena received a patent for a chromoscopic adapter for television equipment in 1942. These are some of their most notable names and contributions. These inventions have changed the world in the last decade. Inventor: Margaret Knight. So, with that out of the way, in homage to this month of Hispanic heritage and pride, we have honored some of the many noteworthy Hispanic inventors and engineers. Top List of Mexican Inventors. Born in California, Elena T. Medo has been granted nine U.S. What exactly do we have to thank him for? This version was a vast improvement on simply crushing the potatoes on your own as it produced a smoother and more buttery soft potato. In her second patent, 276,364, granted in 1962, she changed the design by eliminating the buttons and replacing them with rotating reels that displayed the topics and study materials. Angela Ruiz Robles (1895-1975) was a pioneer and inventor of the mechanical forerunner of the electronic book. These are the most ironic inventions ever. Paper-bag-making machine. de Cuadros was granted U.S. Kayaks. Patents 4,229,845 and 5,046,203 for a "Collapsible Hammock Support.". And so, on to the main event. He graduated from the University of Puebla with a BSc and an MSc and moved to the U.S. in 1998 after he was awarded a Fulbright scholarship to attend George Washington University in Washington, DC. 10. Dr. Jose Hernandez-Rebollar was born in Puebla, Mexico, on the 14th of July, 1969. 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. Learn about these trailblazing Hispanic Americans who made history. Field: Botanist, Inventor and Teacher. Many Hispanic inventions have changed the world. With only an elementary school education, Black inventor (and son of an enslaved parent), Garrett Morgan came up with several . Incuvens patent was published by the United States in 2004, after more than 20 years of research and work by Lvano and his associates. Few Hispanic Americans have made a bigger impact in recent pop culture than Lin-Manuel Miranda. He then went back to the University of Chile in the 1980s. Historically, September gives us plenty of reasons to rejoice. Baez was a Ph.D. student at Stanford University in the 1940s when he and Kirkpatrick developed grazing incidence reflective optics for the examination of living cells. Philanthropist and entrepreneur Madam C.J. Dr. Ellen Ochoa, a veteran astronaut shown here on the flight deck of the space shuttle Atlantis on April 15, 2002, is currently the 11th director of NASAs Johnson Space Center. For his invention, Camarena became the first person in history to receive a patent for the development of a color television (U.S. Patent 2,296,019). Claudio Castilln Lvano, an engineer from Peru, developed a portable incubator and respirator for premature infants. Bez is also the father of renowned folk singer Joan Baez. Peral was becoming impatient and felt he was losing control of his invention. The following are some of the most notable and important Hispanic inventors. He created the "Instrumental Seismic Intensity" or "Arias Intensity" (AI) method in 1970. What Were Other Inventions Made by Hispanics? A laundry operation circa 1925 . Gonzlez Camarena publicly demonstrated his color television with a transmission on August 31, 1946. How many inventors can claim that?! His legacy is lasting, and his inventions are helping humans have a higher quality of life each day. According to theSmithsonian Institution, Ellen Ochoa was the first Hispanic woman astronaut. World Book Online is an engaging, verified, and trustworthy digital resource for grades pre-K through high school. Garca retired from the Royal Academy of Music in 1895 at the age of 90. 6. She also added co-inventor to her resume when she helped develop three patents in the field of optics. Born in Hungary and then later he migrated to Argentina, Jozsef Bir Laszlo was granted U.S. Patent 2,258,841 October 14, 1941 for a "Fountain Pen" - the father of the modern ballpoint pen. Chemist, Luis Miramontes co-invented the contraceptive pill. Guerilla warfare was first documented during the Napoleonic invasion of Spain in the 19the Century. Born in Ecuador, Graciela V.O. 3. She went on four missions with NASA, spending 978 hours in outer space. 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. The World's Greatest Inventors And What They Invented Invented: A variation on the induction telegraph The magnitude of an inventors work can often be defined by the esteem in which he is held by fellow inventors. Courtesy of NASA. Rea Ann Silva and her now famous invention. Other inventions he patented in the USincluded: a reversible motor (USPatent718,508), a pen for fountain pens (US Patent825,153), rail magnetic brakes (US Patents867,147 and 873,587), a windmill (US Patent1,319,174), and wrenches (US Patents1,417,196 and 1,454,333). It could travel at max speeds of nearly eight knots and hold a crew of 12. Ochoa became most notoriousas a Mexican revolutionary; in the 1890s, he had a $50,000 bounty on his head,to be delivered dead or alive to President Porfirio Daz of Mexico! Ochoa was the first Hispanic woman to go to space when she served on a nine-day mission aboard the shuttle Discovery in 1993. Her inventions now help NASA process information collected on missions. So, he famously gutted the submarine's interior and destroyed plans to prevent the technology from falling into foreign nations' hands. He recently won the prestigious Lemelson-MIT prize and currently works full-time as the CEO of Duolingo. He also owned several patents in the USA, Argentina, and France. Frank S. Greene, an electrical engineer, inventor, teacher, and advocate, was a Silicon Valley powerhouse. His earliest inventions at ALZA comprised a progesterone-releasing contraceptive and a thin film for treating glaucoma. Check trademark application status and view all documents associated with an application/registration. Luis von Ahn is also the co-founder ofDuolingo, a completely free app that has caused major buzz among those wanting to learn another language. In 1969, Liotta developed the first total artificial heart to . the most famous invention from your state. According to the Smithsonian Institution, Ellen Ochoa was the first Hispanic woman astronaut. Moving on to another impactful inventor is Albert Bez who co-invented an x-ray reflection microscope in 1948. Victor Ochoa was a Mexican inventor and revolutionary who patented the electric brake in 1907. After having her invention stolen by a man who claimed that there was no way a woman could have invented such a . Victor Celorio was granted US patents 6012890 and 6213703 for his invention. Ellen Ochoa (1958-present): First Hispanic Woman to Visit The Space; Top 10 Famous Hispanic Scientists #10. By 2022, they are expected to be produced at a rate 25 times greater than the previous decade. Often know as Madame C.J. Although progesterone was used in contraception before 1951, it needed to be injected. Guillermo Gonzlez Camarena invented an early color television system. From birth control pills to color television, Mexican inventors have contributed to creating many notable inventions. VentureWell reports that Hispanic inventors file for patents at half the rate of Black inventors, a trend the USPTO is determined to . Any copies of the burned patents that were obtained from the inventors were given a number as well, ending in 'X' to mark them as part of the destroyed batch. ", Born in Chile, Luis Alejandro Cavallo Caroca was granted U.S. Design Patent D582,231 for the "Ornamental Design of a Corkscrew" and also U.S. Design Patent D584,122 for the "Ornamental Design of Scissors.". His model was made using two mirrors and the sun for an external light source. 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.". 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). Rounding out our list of famous Hispanic inventors is Argentinian-born Dr. Domingo Liotta, a man regarded as a pioneer in the medical community. Uruguayan entrepreneur and biochemist Alejandro Zaffaroni created a system for drugs to be administered to the body through skin bandages. Copyright 2023, Smithsonian Institution, All Rights Reserved, Highlighting Hispanic Inventors and Innovators, blog-smith-monica-2017-09-22-victor-ochoa-undated-ac0590-0000008-ochoaplane-undated-ac0590-0000009-cnmah-750-inline-edit.jpg, blog-smith-monica-2017-09-22-ellen-ochoa-sts110-e-5254-11-april-2002-cnasa-750-inline-edit.jpg, visit at the Smithsonians Udvar-Hazy Center, named Director of NASAs Johnson Space Flight Center, blog-smith-monica-2017-09-22-manny-villafana-at-st-jude-medical--27-june-2013-cmonica-smith-750-inline-edit.jpg, blog-smith-monica-2017-09-22-nsf-director-france-cordova-presenting-fy17-budget-9-february-2016-cnsf-750-inline-edit.jpg, Notes from the Director: Hispanic Heritage Month. Can you describe the problem? Ochoa was a revolutionist who sought to overthrow the rule of Mexico's chief executive in the early nineties. While we commonly learn about imperative African-American figures like Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Rosa Parks, Harriet Tubman, Maya Angelou, and many others, we don't often hear about the . Each year from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, National Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated across the United States. Mexican inventor Victor Ochoa was also a Mexican revolutionary. These Hispanic inventors, many of which toiled in obscurity have incredible stories that are worth sharing. Before Ochoa was born, her family, originally from Mexico, relocated to California, where she was born and raised. In 1986, he gave the National Library of Medicine a collection of his papers. Victor Ochoa, who was born in Ojinaga, Mexico, in 1850, created an early form of electric streetcar brakes. Ellen Ochoa. Courtesy of a Fulbright scholarship, he came to the USto earn a PhD in electrical engineering at George Washington University, where he received two USPatents (7,565,295 and 8,140,339) both for a method and apparatus for translating hand gestures for the AcceleGlove. He was the first to employ the idea of cryo-ultramicrotomy, which is used to section vitrified biological samples, and contributed to the electron microscope. Some of the things you have used -and some you haven't- were invented by a Latino and you didn't even know it. Peral was called to Madrid by Pezuela y Lobo for a one-on-one interview. Ellen Ochoa. He did serve two years in jail and lost his U.S. citizenshipfor organizing an army in the United States for the purpose of invading Mexico. After his release, President Theodore Roosevelt restored his citizenship by a special proclamation in 1906. Although today underwater travel and leisure is so commonplace that you can stay at underwater hotels like these, it was once a leading-edge and daring technological advancement. 1. Famous Hispanic people and inventors help us carry on Hispanic Heritage Month with pride and teach future generations about their culture and its contributions. Abbas ibn Frinas was an Andalusian inventor in the 10th century. From 2013 until 2018, Dr. Ochoa served as the director of NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. Search recorded assignment and record ownership changes, Offering opportunities for independent inventors, entrepreneurs, small business owners, and intellectual property (IP) professionals to learn about resources available to the. Liotta's device was implanted in a 47-year-old patient with severe heart failure. America's white-male-centered imaginings of inventorship and patenting extend beyond the nation's borders, in . 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. Nevertheless, the University of Knigsberg later awarded him an honorary M.D. I was shocked to learn she became the first Hispanic female astronaut in space. Guillermo Gonzlez Camarena (1917-1965), an electrical engineer by trade, invented a chromoscopic converter in 1940 at the age of 23. He was only 22 when he introduced his self-built colour TV to the country in 1940, and he was to later come up with a 'trichomatic, field-sequential system' and 'improved chromoscopic . A Netflix series based upon her life, Self Made, premiered in March 2020. Thomas Edison may have invented the electric light bulb, but Latimer helped make it a common feature in American households. Jaime Escalante (1930-2010): The Best teacher in North America #9. Juan Lozano's company Tecnologia Aeroespacial Mexicana sells the Rocket Belt for a hefty price. Building engineers can design structures that are better able to resist seismic activity using the Arias Intensity Formula. I was surprised initially by the limited information available in peer-reviewed publications, credible online sources, and research data sets. He . Chewing Gum. Puebla, Mexico. ", Born in the Dominican Republic, Hoyma J. Mazara was granted U.S. Patent 7,798,868 for "Electrical Switching Apparatus and Terminal Connector Assembly thereof" and U.S. Patent 7,695,313 for "Electrical Enclosure, and Panel Assembly and Mounting Assembly therefor.". Bez worked for and lectured for the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Bellis, Mary. Do you have a favorite Hispanic inventor of your own? In 1971, Villafaa left to set up rival company Cardiac Pacemakers Inc. to develop a cardiac pacemaker using a new lithium battery invented by engineer Wilson Greatbatch (who was featured in another 1996 Innovative Lives program). The son of a renowned singer and educator, Garca eventually took work as a baritone singer. The app provides free language education covering 33 languages and serving about 300 million users worldwide according toNBC News. It became law on August 17, 1988, after Public Law 100-402 was approved. He is the president of Instabook Corporation, based in Gainesville, Florida. At just 64g, it weighs about as much as a large battery. Before developing the "BeautyBlender," Silva also worked on the sets of films, including "Friday" (1995), "Money Talks"(1997), and "Idle Hands"(1999), as well as television programs like "Girlfriends" and "Moesha.". While serving as Secretary of Health, he traveled to China and Israel, where he signed agreements with President Ephraim Katzir and Premier Chou En-lai. 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. She was born Sarah Breedlove on 12/23/1867 in Delta Louisiana. At the age of 17, he invented and patented his "chromoscopic adapter for television equipment.". Courtesy of NASA, A few stories of often overlooked inventors and innovators in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month. He studied medicine at the University of Munich, where he received his summa cum laude in 1944. Hispanic-Americans, both immigrants and their descendants, have changed the world through their contributions to science, industry, the arts, sports, and politics on Earth, obviously, but even beyond. Trademarks are property of their respective owner. However, the norethindrone version developed by Miramontes' team was approved shortly after and has since become an industry standard. Carl Djerassi, George Rosenkranz, and Luis Miramontes were granted US patent 2,744,122 for "oral contraceptives" on May 1, 1956. Currently, he is the Dean of the School of Medicine at the University of Morn in Argentina. He was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2006. This invention helps to save the lives of high-risk babies born before full-term gestation in neonatal intensive care (NICU). Khler "for theories concerning the specificity in development and control of the immune system and the discovery of the principle for production of monoclonal antibodies. As a veteran of three space flights, logging over 719 hours in space, she was also an electrical engineer with patents on high-tech optical . He is most famous today for his invention of an early laryngoscope in 1854. In 1936, Ochoa returned to Sinaloa, Mexico, where he reportedly died nine years later. Miramontes worked out the missing piece of the puzzle to create progestin, a progesterone-like hormone that could be taken orally to prevent ovulation.