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Those Oldies But Goodies

Monday, April 26, 2010 6:40 pm

Great inventions have come along and have made an impact throughout history. While the inventors of fire and the wheel will never be known, following are four Oldies But Goodies that we do know.

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 – 1750)
Bach, one of the greatest musicians of all time, composed 15 inventions for his keyboard students. The inventions were not mechanical; but rather, two-part contrapuntal exercises. According to Bach, the purpose was “to obtain good inventions (ideas) but to develop the same well.” Although Bach composed during the Baroque era bringing that style to absolute perfection, his genius was not recognized until the mid-1800s. Even Jerry Garcia of Grateful Dead fame called Bach the greatest musical genius of all-time.

Johannes Gutenberg (1398 – 1468)
Gutenberg’s 1439 invention of the mechanical printing press is arguably the single greatest invention in the history of western civilization. This invention played an integral part in the Renaissance, Reformation, Scientific Revolution and with bringing knowledge to the masses. Gutenberg’s printing press system was a combination of movable type, use of oil-based ink and paper press printing that enabled the mass production of printed books.

Alfred Bernhard Nobel (1833 – 1896)
Nobel was a Swedish chemist, engineer, armaments manufacturer and inventor of Dynamite. Although Nobel held a total of 355 patents, it was in 1867 when he added nitroglycerin to diatomaceous earth that a safe, controllable explosive powder was invented. Upon his death, Nobel bequeathed his fortune to create and to annually fund prizes for significant advancements in physics, chemistry, medicine, literature and peace.

Felix Hoffman (1868 – 1946)
Hoffman’s gift to humankind was his invention of Aspirin in 1897 while working for Bayer. The inspiration for Aspirin stems from the bark of the willow tree. Although willow bark properties had been known for centuries, Hoffman was able to buffer the negative side effects. Aspirin has proven to be effective for many ailments including: pain, headache, heart conditions, strokes, some cancers, Alzheimer’s, and vision problems. It has become known as the first wonder drug with over 15 billion tablets taken per year.

Those Invention Oldies But Goodies of yesteryear continue to make our world a better place in which to live.

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