Kids’ Corner: 5 great female inventors and what they invented

Marie Curie was the first woman to be awarded the Nobel Prize, and she was famous for her research on radioactivity. Here are five more brilliant women who were pioneers in their field.

1. Hedy Lamarr
During the Second World War, this Austrian actress invented a system that prevented enemy ships from jamming torpedo guidance signals. This encryption technology is considered an antecedent of secure Wi-Fi.

2. Mary Anderson
Without this American, driving would be a lot more dangerous. This is because she invented the first automatic windshield wipers. Thanks to Mary Anderson, drivers no longer have to get out of their car to clear their front window by hand.

3. Josephine Cochrane
Another American inventor, this woman made life easier for families by reducing the amount of time spent washing dishes. She did this by inventing the first dishwasher.

4. Melitta Bentz
Coffee might not be as popular as it is today without this German woman’s invention. Since she didn’t like to have coffee grounds floating in her drink, she came up with an innovative solution: the coffee filter.

5. Maria Beasley
This inventor from Philadelphia made improvements to the life raft that helped save many people who were aboard the Titanic when it sank. Unfortunately, there weren’t enough rafts available on the ship to save everyone.

If you want to learn more about these creative women, visit your local library.