Many Great Women Inventions… and the Men Who Stole Them!

🔥 A provocative deep dive into the forgotten legacy of women inventors who reshaped history—only to have their breakthroughs snatched, sidelined, or overshadowed by men. From computing to chemistry, aerospace to agriculture, this blog uncovers stories where brilliance met betrayal. It’s witty, historically grounded, and brutally honest—revealing how systemic biases and cultural erasure robbed women of the recognition they deserved. Packed with sharp anecdotes, punchy commentary, and a touch of righteous satire, this piece challenges readers to rethink attribution and reclaim the rightful voices behind innovation. Credit is long overdue—and we’re naming names.

Ah, history. That grand tapestry woven with tales of genius, discovery, and innovation—mostly credited to men. But if you look closely, you’ll find a secret subplot: a legion of brilliant women inventors and scientists whose groundbreaking work was, shall we say, reassigned to their male colleagues. It’s like a cosmic joke where the punchline is “Men invented everything, except the credit.” So buckle up, because here’s a satirical romp through 40 great women inventions and discoveries by women that men conveniently took credit for. Spoiler alert: it’s less “mad science” and more “mad sexism.”

1 – 💡 The Square-Bottom Swagger

Before tote bags were cool, Margaret Knight invented the machine that made square-bottomed paper bags a thing. Enter Charles Annan—her coworker, who took one look and said, “Nice idea… I’ll take it.”
Spoiler: She sued. She won.
But history? Still tried to bag the credit for him.

Margaret Knight, the 19th-century inventor who refused to let mechanical genius be a boys-only club, designed a machine that could fold and glue flat-bottomed paper bags—a game changer for packaging. Enter Charles Annan, who saw her prototype and tried to patent it himself, claiming a woman couldn’t possibly understand such complex machinery. Margaret responded not with fury, but with blueprints and a lawsuit. She won. He lost. And the paper-bag industry got its OG.
Honestly, Charles, maybe try yoga next time—it’s less humiliating than stealing inventions from Knight.

2 – 🧬DNA Double Helix Structure

Rosalind Franklin: The Woman Behind the Helix Hype
Watson & Crick “discovered” DNA’s structure—by taking a peek at Rosalind Franklin’s homework.
She snapped Photo 51, the mic-drop X-ray that cracked the code.
They got the Nobel.
She got a footnote and a posthumous pat on the back.

3 – 👩‍⚕️ Ball Method, Missing Credit

Alice Ball: The Chemist Who Got Ghosted by History
Alice Ball cracked a cure for leprosy.
Arthur L. Dean took her work, slapped his name on it, and called it a day.
A literal case of Dean being mean.
She did the science. He did the signature.
And history? It forgot to copy her in.

4 – 🎓 Grace Got Bugs, Men Praise

Grace Hopper: The OG Debugger Who Got Ghosted
Grace Hopper built the first compiler and coined “debugging” after yanking a real moth from a machine.
Meanwhile, the men? They got the mic, the medals, and the magazine covers.
She squashed bugs—literal and historical—while they basked in the glow.
Basically: She coded. They clapped—for themselves.

Grace Hopper: COBOL’d and Straight-Up Overlooked
Grace Hopper co-created COBOL—y’know, the language still running banks, airlines, and half the government.
But when it came to credit?
The men said, “It was a team effort”—just not her team.
She wrote the code. They wrote her out.
COBOL aged well. The recognition? Not so much.

5 – 🌌 Bell Burnell’s Cosmic Silence

Jocelyn Bell Burnell: She Heard the Universe—But Got Ghosted
Burnell discovered pulsars, those flashy little cosmic lighthouses.
The universe blinked. Her advisor blinked louder.
He got the Nobel. She got a polite mention in the footnotes.
She found the signal. He took the spotlight.
And the Nobel committee? Total radio silence.

Throughout history, great women inventions have shaped the way we live, work, and communicate. From everyday household items to groundbreaking technologies, women inventors have contributed innovations that continue to impact society in countless ways. Despite facing barriers and often being overlooked, their creativity and determination have left an enduring mark on the world.

6 – 🧫 Lederberg’s Lambda Vanish

Esther Lederberg: The Forgotten Half of a Scientific Power Couple

Lederberg discovered the lambda phage—tiny, but mighty in genetics.
Her husband Joshua won the Nobel. Alone.
Apparently, it was his and hers, but mostly his.
She brought the science; he brought the trophy home.
Love, lab work, and one giant case of selective memory.

7 – 🦠 Dark Matter, Dim Recognition

Vera Rubin: She Found the Universe’s Missing Matter—Then Went Missing from the Awards
Vera Rubin spotted dark matter—proof that most of the universe is invisible.
Kind of like the Nobel committee when it came to her.
Her discovery reshaped cosmology.
Her recognition? Still lost in space.
She found what holds the universe together.
Too bad no one could hold up a trophy.

8 – 💋 Hot Comb Hustle

Annie Malone & Ada Harris: Styled the World, But History Gave the Credit a Makeover
They revolutionized haircare with tools and techniques that changed beauty forever.
But when it came time to patent?
Men showed up with combs—and contracts.
They got the credit and the cash, while the real innovators got brushed aside.
Because apparently, men knew best how women should look—and how to take the credit too.

9 – 🛠️ Circular Saw: Not His Round

Tabitha Babbitt: She Invented the Circular Saw—They Went in Circles to Take Credit

Babbitt built the first circular saw to make woodcutting smoother and smarter.
Her male colleagues? They saw the idea… and ran with it—straight to the patent office.
She revolutionized carpentry.
They carved their names into history.
Tabitha cut through wood. They cut her out.

10 – 🧪 Wu-Tang Nobel Snub

Chien-Shiung Wu: The First Lady of Physics—Left Out of the Prize Party
Wu flipped nuclear physics on its head with her parity violation experiment.
She proved the theory. The theorists got the Nobel.
She did the heavy lifting. They did the accepting speech.
It was her breakthrough—but their photo op.
Because apparently, in physics, proving the point doesn’t prove your worth.

Many of the comforts and conveniences we take for granted today are the result of great women inventions. Whether it’s the dishwasher, the windshield wiper, or the modern electric refrigerator, these inventions have revolutionized daily life and set new standards for efficiency and safety. Recognizing these contributions is essential to understanding the true scope of human ingenuity.

11 – 👶 Diaper Dismissal

Marion Donovan: Changed Diapers Forever—Got Diaper-Wiped from History
Donovan invented the disposable diaper—every parent’s miracle and every baby’s dry dream.
Male manufacturers said, “Cute idea, sweetheart. Now go fold some laundry.”
Years later, they ran with it, made millions, and left her name in the hamper.
She cleaned up the mess.
They cleaned up the profits.

12 –🐟 Aquarium Origins, Watered Down

Jeanne Villepreux-Power: Built the First Aquarium—Then Got Tanked by History
She invented the aquarium to study sea life up close—science with a splash.
Male scientists dove in, took the credit, and surfaced with the glory.
She made waves.
They rode them.
She built the tank.
They fished for fame—and caught it.

13 – 💻 Algorithm Addendum

🧮 Ada Lovelace didn’t just admire Charles Babbage’s Analytical Engine—she wrote the first algorithm for it in 1843, designed to calculate Bernoulli numbers. That’s right: while Babbage built the machine (well, almost—it was never completed), Ada envisioned its potential to go beyond math, even suggesting it could compose music if programmed correctly.

Her algorithm, published as “Note G” in her translation of Luigi Menabrea’s paper, is now considered the first computer program. And yet, when the applause came, it was Babbage who got the standing ovation—Ada’s brilliance was left buffering in the background.

Ada Lovelace: coded before coding was cool, and still got Ctrl-Z’d from the credit 🧠💻

14 – 🔭 Submarine Spyglass Swipe

🌊 In 1845, Sarah Mather patented the submarine telescope—a long, watertight tube with a glass viewing plate and an internal lamp, allowing people to inspect underwater objects without diving or dry-docking ships. Her invention was a game-changer for maritime maintenance, letting crews check hulls for damage, marine growth, or sabotage. It even found use during the Civil War, helping detect underwater mines and threats.

She later improved the design in 1864, collaborating with her son to enhance lighting and durability. Mather’s device laid the groundwork for modern aquascopes, periscopes, and underwater inspection tech. But while her invention illuminated the deep, her name sank into obscurity—overshadowed by naval narratives that preferred their heroes helmeted and male.

Sarah Mather: lit up the ocean floor, but history left her floating in the shallow end 🫧🔭

15 – 🔍 Glass Ceiling, Glass Innovation

🔍 Katharine Burr Blodgett wasn’t just breaking glass ceilings—she was reinventing the glass itself. In 1938, while working at General Electric, she developed the first non-reflective, invisible glass using molecular coatings just millionths of an inch thick. The result? Crystal-clear optics that transformed everything from camera lenses to submarine periscopes, microscopes to movie screens.

Her innovation became standard in countless industries—but Blodgett herself? Not quite as visible. Despite being the first woman to earn a PhD in physics from Cambridge and blazing scientific trails, she was often footnoted while her invention stayed front and center.

Katharine Blodgett: made glass disappear so well, historians forgot she was behind it 👓✨

The impact of great women inventions can be seen across every corner of the globe. Whether revolutionizing public safety, enhancing communication, or streamlining technologies, these breakthroughs illustrate how innovation thrives beyond the spotlight and often ahead of its time.

16 – 🩺 Trota Who?

🩺 Trota of Salerno wasn’t just a medieval medical expert—she was the magistra operis of women’s health in 12th-century Italy. Teaching at the famed Schola Medica Salernitana (yes, the first medical school in Europe to welcome women), Trota authored groundbreaking texts on gynecology, obstetrics, and even cosmetics. Her treatises tackled everything from menstrual disorders to snakebites, and she dared to suggest that infertility might be—gasp!—a male issue too.

But then came the medieval remix: her writings were bundled with others into a compendium called Trotula, and scholars promptly mistook the title for a man’s name. Cue centuries of confusion, gender-swapping edits, and academic gaslighting. By the 1500s, Trota had been erased so thoroughly, historians debated whether she ever existed.

Trota: cured uterine “wind,” taught male doctors about female anatomy, and got ghosted by the footnotes. Medieval medicine had its own version of Ctrl+Z—and it hit her name hard.

17 –💉 Syringe Snub 2.0

🩺 Letitia Mumford Geer wasn’t just poking around—she was streamlining medicine. In 1899, she patented a one-handed syringe that allowed doctors and nurses to inject fluids more efficiently and hygienically. Before her upgrade, administering shots required two hands, a steady surface, and a lot of coordination—not ideal in an emergency (or for the dignity of the patient).

Geer’s design included an innovative plunger and a mechanism to control flow with a single hand, making procedures faster and safer. It quickly became a foundation for modern syringe tech.

And yet… her name barely made it past the patent office. The syringe flourished, hospital workflows improved, but history ghosted her harder than a med-school crush.

Letitia Geer: redefined injection efficiency—and got written out faster than your flu shot recovery 💉🕵️‍♀️

18 – 🚧 Street Sweeper Shuffle

🧹❄️ Florence Parpart didn’t just clean up the streets—she chilled the competition. In 1899, she patented a mechanized street sweeper that reduced airborne dust and manual labor, making urban sanitation faster and healthier. Her invention was adopted by cities across the U.S., and she even negotiated the sales herself—no middlemen, no nonsense.

Then in 1914, she patented a modern electric refrigerator, circulating cold water through coils to keep food fresh. It was sleek, efficient, and sold to companies nationwide. Florence wasn’t just inventing—she was marketing, managing, and manufacturing.

And yet… her name got swept into obscurity. Twice. First by industrial bias, then by historical amnesia. Her male co-patenter Hiram Layman was listed on both inventions—standard practice at the time to attract investors and dodge misogyny—but the ideas? All Florence.

Florence Parpart: cleaned the streets, cooled the groceries, and still got iced out of the credit 🧊🧼

19 – 🌍 Globes, Globally Ignored

🌍 Ellen Eliza Fitz didn’t just teach geography—she reinvented how it was taught. In 1875, she patented a globe mounting system that allowed students to visualize the Earth’s daily rotation and yearly revolution using a tilted axis, solar index, and brass rings to show daylight, twilight, and night. Her invention was so effective, it was displayed at the 1876 Centennial Exhibition and adopted in classrooms across North America.

She even wrote a guidebook packed with exercises like calculating time zones and sunrise hours—basically turning globes into interactive STEM labs. And yet, while her globes spun in schools, her name barely rotated through history books.

Ellen Fitz: mapped the Earth’s motion, but historians preferred static male names. Geographic irony? She’s the reason students could literally point to the sun’s position—and still couldn’t point to her legacy.

20 –🛟 Life Raft, Lifelong Erasure

🛶🛢️ Maria Beasley wasn’t just multitasking—she was multi-patenting. In 1880, she designed a collapsible metal life raft with airtight containers for supplies, making it safer and more compact than traditional lifeboats. Her raft was so ahead of its time, four were reportedly aboard the Titanic, saving lives while her name stayed off the passenger list.

Then came her industrial mic drop: a barrel-making machine patented in 1878, capable of producing up to 1,700 barrels a day. It revolutionized shipping and storage, earned her licensing deals with Standard Oil, and helped her build a company that sold for $1.4 million—a fortune in her era.

And yet… history gave her the silent treatment. Twice. Her raft saved lives, her barrels moved goods, and her legacy? Still waiting for someone to throw her a lifeline.

Maria Beasley: floated the world and fueled it—while historians kept her name in dry dock 🧯

From life-saving devices to clever household solutions, great women inventions reflect a legacy of problem-solving that’s both practical and visionary. These contributions deserve a permanent place in our collective memory, not just as footnotes, but as transformative chapters of progress.

21 – 🧪 Missed Chemistry Credit

🧪 Kathleen Lonsdale didn’t just reshape molecules—she reshaped structural chemistry itself. In 1929, she used X-ray crystallography to prove that the benzene ring was a flat hexagon, settling a century-long debate that had chemists chasing snake-shaped theories and circular logic. Her work laid the foundation for modern organic chemistry and crystallography.

She went on to publish a handwritten book of formulas for all 230 space groups—yes, handwritten—and became the first female professor at University College London, the first woman president of the International Union of Crystallography, and one of the first two women elected to the Royal Society in 1945.

And yet, ask a classroom today who cracked benzene’s code, and you’ll get more guesses about perfume brands than pioneers.

Kathleen Lonsdale: flattened benzene, elevated science—and still waiting for her name to crystallize in textbooks 🔬

22 –🍽️ Dishwasher Double-Cross

Josephine Cochrane wasn’t just tired of chipped china—she was done waiting for someone else to fix it. In 1886, after fuming over cracked porcelain courtesy of clumsy male servants, she rolled up her sleeves and invented the world’s first commercially viable mechanical dishwasher. Not only did she sketch and engineer it herself, but she also patented the design and launched her own company to sell it. By the 1893 World’s Fair, her machine was turning heads—but the domestic market shrugged. Why? Apparently, men couldn’t believe women cared about mechanics… even while buying machines to wash their dishes.

23 – 🚂 Locomotive Cleanup Crew

🚂 Mary Walton wasn’t just riding the rails—she was cleaning them up. In the late 19th century, when New York City’s air quality resembled a coal-fired fog machine, Walton developed a system that trapped pollutants from smokestacks using water tanks and emissions chambers. Then she tackled the ear-splitting shriek of urban locomotives by designing a soundproofing mechanism for rail systems—so effective it was adopted by major transit companies.

She patented both. She fixed two massive urban headaches. She did it solo. And history? Gave her the silent treatment. Which, ironically, was her whole point.

24 –🚨 Escape Artist Erased

🏙️ In 1887, Anna Connelly filed a patent that revolutionized urban safety: the external metal fire escape. Before her invention, tenants had few options during a building fire—besides prayer or dangerously jumping out windows. Connelly’s design introduced a safe passageway down the outside of buildings, which cities like New York began to adopt in their building codes.

Naturally, once fire escapes became iconic urban fixtures, history let men pose like heroes—climbing Connelly’s invention and waving from rooftops—as if they’d drawn the blueprint. Spoiler: they didn’t.

25 –👕 Ironing Board Blues

Sarah Boone, an African American inventor born in 1832, took the household ironing experience from bulky and awkward to smart and streamlined. In 1892, she patented a design featuring a narrow, curved ironing board ideal for sleeves and bodices—a major upgrade at a time when ironing meant balancing clothes on flat wood planks or even kitchen tables. Her invention made pressing garments easier, faster, and more precise, especially for women’s fashion.

And yet… history gave her contributions a wrinkle. While her board smoothed fabric flawlessly, credit was smudged and her name faded into the background—just like a stain someone “forgot” to treat.

Throughout history, great women inventions have reshaped industries, improved everyday life, and challenged conventional thinking. These innovations—often conceived under challenging circumstances—demonstrate the brilliance, resourcefulness, and determination of women who dared to build what the world needed.

26 –🚗 Car Heater Hijack

🚗 In 1893, Margaret A. Wilcox, one of the few women mechanical engineers of her time, patented a design that piped warm air from an automobile’s engine into its cabin—effectively inventing the first car heater. Her concept was brilliant, practical, and way ahead of its time, making winter drives less like frostbite roulette.
But surprise! Her name was quickly ghosted from mainstream automotive history. As the car industry roared forward, Wilcox’s ingenuity was conveniently forgotten—while her invention kept hands toasty and corporate egos warmed.
Margaret: heated the ride, cooled the credit. Next time fellas, maybe cite your sources before cranking the engine 🔥🧤

27 – 💉 Syringe Snub x2

🩺 In 1899, Letitia Mumford Geer patented a device that changed the medical game—a one-handed syringe designed to streamline injections and free up the non-dominant hand during procedures. Her innovation made administration more efficient and hygienic, and yes, doctors everywhere rejoiced (mostly for the syringe… not the inventor).

But instead of being celebrated for revolutionizing bedside efficiency, Geer saw her name quietly replaced—twice—by male-led companies that conveniently skipped over her contribution. Her life-saving design got mass-produced; her recognition? Mass-erased.

Letitia Geer: proved one hand is enough to fix medicine… even if history still needs both hands to give proper credit 💉😒

28 –💨 WONdow Wipe-Out

🧼 In 1903, Mary Anderson saw a problem—streetcars in a snowy New York couldn’t be driven safely because drivers had to lean out the window to clear the windshield. Her solution? A manual lever-operated windshield wiper that could be used from inside the vehicle. She patented it and tried to license it, but manufacturers claimed her invention was impractical and not needed.

Fast-forward a few years: wipers were suddenly “essential,” and every car had one—just minus Mary’s name. Apparently her design was too visionary… until men had to drive in the rain.

Mary Anderson: cleaned the view, got fogged out of credit 🚘💦

29 –💡 Word Processor White-Out

💻 In 1971, Evelyn Berezin unveiled the first true word processor—a computer-based system designed to create, edit, and store text. While others dabbled with electric typewriters, Berezin engineered a machine with electronic memory and programmable logic, far beyond just fancy keys. She founded Redactron Corporation, staffed mostly by women, and delivered her device to secretarial pools and business offices eager to ditch carbon copies and correction fluid.
But history, in its usual glitchy fashion, gave the spotlight to typewriter brands and software bros who arrived years later. Berezin coded the revolution—and somehow got Ctrl-Z’d from the credit.
Evelyn Berezin: deleted from the timeline, but never from the legacy of digital writing 🧠

30 –🔋 Solar Genius in the Shadows

☀️ Maria Telkes wasn’t just chasing sunshine—she was bottling it. In the 1940s, this Hungarian-American scientist co-designed the Dover Sun House, pioneering the use of solar thermal storage to heat homes using Glauber’s salt. Her system collected and stored solar energy by day, then released warmth at night—a radical shift toward sustainable living decades ahead of its time.

But while her technology beamed with brilliance, history treated her contributions like a cloudy forecast. The spotlight dimmed, funding fizzled, and her name rarely made it into the energy hall of fame. Meanwhile, solar panels soaked up glory… without mentioning the woman who warmed the house before it was cool.

Maria Telkes: lit the way, and got ghosted by the grid 🔆🏠

In every era, great women inventions have tackled urgent challenges—sometimes decades before society was ready to embrace them. These groundbreaking solutions often emerged from quiet corners of labs, kitchens, or workshops, proving that innovation doesn’t need permission, only persistence.

31 –🔧 Petroleum Catalyst, Silenced Impact

🥽 In the 1950s, Edith M. Flanigen engineered Zeolite Y, a synthetic crystal so effective it became the gold standard for refining petroleum. Her creation revolutionized the process of catalytic cracking—breaking down crude oil into high-value fuels like gasoline and jet fuel. It wasn’t just a lab win—it was a global energy game-changer. With over 200 patents, Flanigen didn’t just contribute to chemistry—she quietly reshaped industrial economics.

But retrospectives? Let’s just say the spotlight got stuck in the filters. While Zeolite Y powered engines worldwide, her name barely made it past the footnotes.

Edith Flanigen: cracked hydrocarbons wide open, but couldn’t crack the historian’s bias 🤦‍♀️⚗

32 –🧪 Nuclear Fame-Split

🧪 Irene Joliot-Curie, daughter of the legendary Marie Curie, was no scientific sidekick. In 1935, she and her husband Frédéric Joliot-Curie were awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for discovering artificial radioactivity—a breakthrough that laid the groundwork for nuclear medicine and energy. Her work wasn’t just impressive—it was pivotal. She also held top scientific posts, led crucial research during WWII, and advocated for peace and education.

Yet despite being a Nobel laureate with atomic-level brilliance, Irene somehow got eclipsed not once, but twice—first by her mother’s towering legacy, and then by the spotlight often swinging toward her husband.

Irene Joliot-Curie: splitting atoms and expectations, but history kept her behind Marie and Frédéric’s double-helix-sized shadows. ☢️🌕

️33 –🔬 Benzene Bypass

🧬 Kathleen Lonsdale didn’t just peek into molecules—she threw open the atomic curtains. In the 1920s, while chemists debated benzene’s structure like it was philosophical poetry, Lonsdale used X-ray crystallography to show that benzene was a perfectly flat hexagon, locking down what textbooks had only guessed. It was a landmark discovery that changed organic chemistry, crystallography, and molecular science.
She later became the first female fellow of the Royal Society and pushed for science in prisons and peace in politics. Yet her legacy? Often squeezed into a single footnote while the benzene bros strutted across curriculum pages.
Kathleen: mapped molecules and milestones—deserved the headline, not the asterisk 🔍

34 –🧠 Vitamin Vision, Delayed Honor

🔬 Dorothy Hodgkin didn’t just crack codes—she cracked molecular mysteries. In 1956, using X-ray crystallography, she revealed the intricate structure of Vitamin B12, a puzzle that had stumped chemists for years due to its complex atomic layout. Her work enabled advances in treating pernicious anemia and deepened understanding of biochemical systems.
In 1964, she finally received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, making her the first British woman to earn it—yet media coverage was so vague you’d think she’d discovered a new salad dressing, not a breakthrough in biochemistry.
Dorothy Hodgkin: decoded B12, but history gave her the Cliff Notes version 🧠

35 – 👀 Electron Microscope, Male Magnified

🧪 Pratibha Gai didn’t just peer into atoms—she opened a window into their natural habitat. In the 1970s, this British-Indian physicist co-developed Environmental Transmission Electron Microscopy (ETEM), a groundbreaking technique that let scientists observe chemical reactions at the atomic level… in real-time, under actual working conditions. It transformed materials science, catalysis, and nanotechnology.
And the kicker? She didn’t patent it. Why? So the scientific community could build on it freely. But instead of being hailed as a visionary, her name quietly exited stage left—while others racked up citations, awards, and the credit she deserved.
Pratibha Gai: gave the world an atomic movie—history responded with pixelation. 🥴🔬

The story of great women inventions is not just about gadgets or formulas—it’s about vision. Whether they were solving engineering puzzles or reimagining how systems function, women inventors consistently blended creativity and practicality in ways that reshaped entire industries.

36 –✈️ Airplane Muffler Mute Button

✈️ Eldorado Jones wasn’t just “The Iron Woman” in nickname—she earned it by engineering airplane engine mufflers in the 1920s that significantly reduced noise without sacrificing performance. Her invention was not only smart, it was sleek: lightweight, effective, and ideal for aviation. She ran her own company, employed an all-women workforce, and refused to sell her patent to male investors who offered deals without respecting her terms.
She was fierce, focused, and flying high… until history hit mute. While her mufflers softened the roar of engines, it was male-led aerospace narratives that drowned out her legacy.
Eldorado Jones: silenced the sky, but couldn’t silence the bias 🛩️🔇

37 –📞 Caller ID? Call Her Ignored

📞 Shirley Ann Jackson didn’t just answer the call—she rewired the switchboard. As a theoretical physicist, she conducted pioneering research at Bell Labs in the 1970s that paved the way for modern telecommunications, including technologies like Caller ID, call waiting, and fiber optics. Her work in subatomic particles wasn’t just brilliant—it laid the digital groundwork for how we connect today.

Yet when telecom history rolled out features like “Know Who’s Calling,” it somehow forgot to call her name. Corporate memoirs rang loud; Jackson’s credit? On silent.

Shirley Ann Jackson: put the ID in Caller ID—and got ghosted by the telecom narrative 🔔

38 –🧠 The Receptor Rejection

🧠 In 1972, neuroscientist Candace Pert, then a graduate student at Johns Hopkins, made history by discovering the opiate receptor in the brain—the site where molecules like morphine and endorphins bind to regulate pain and pleasure. It was a seismic moment in neuropharmacology, opening doors to understanding addiction, mood, and consciousness.
But when it came time to publish? Her boss, Solomon Snyder, submitted the paper with his name as sole author. Pert protested, only to be told—classic academia—“students don’t need credit.” The receptor got named. The accolades got handed out. Her contribution? Almost ghosted.
Candace Pert: decoded bliss, got the academic cold shoulder 🧬🥶

39 – 🍦 Ice Cream, Cold Recognition

Nancy Johnson: Churned Out a Sweet Invention—Then Got Left in the Cold
She invented the hand-cranked ice cream maker—blessing humanity with frozen joy.
The men? They scooped the credit, served it up, and cashed in.
She cranked out the magic.
They licked up the legacy.
She made dessert history.
They left her story on ice.

40 – The Landlord’s Game (precursor to Monopoly)

🎲 In 1904, Elizabeth Magie patented The Landlord’s Game—a board game designed to teach the dangers of land monopolies and promote Georgist economics. It featured two rule sets: one where players built monopolies and crushed opponents (sound familiar?), and another where wealth was shared and everyone prospered. Spoiler: only one version made it to toy store shelves.

Fast-forward to the 1930s: Charles Darrow, an out-of-work salesman, played a bootleg version at a dinner party, redrew it on oilcloth, and pitched it to Parker Brothers as his own invention. They bought it, mass-produced it as Monopoly, and made Darrow a millionaire. Magie? She got $500 and a footnote—if that.

Elizabeth Magie: created a game to warn us about capitalism… and watched it become capitalism’s favorite pastime 💸

As we explore modern advancements, it’s essential to recognize the foundation laid by great women inventions. Elevating these stories not only sets the historical record straight but also fuels future generations of thinkers, creators, and changemakers.

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