May: National Inventor’s Month
May 2021 is National Inventor's Month
NEWS
The American manufacturing industry has benefited from the impact of inventors over the previous centuries who were willing to push the boundaries of thought and current technologies. This push for innovation and growth remains, with new technologies emerging that continue to challenge the industry to be better, faster, stronger, and smarter.
Perhaps the most famous American inventor of all time is Thomas Edison. In fact, National Inventors’ Day is held on his birthday (February 11th). While Edison was responsible for thousands of innovations, his most well-known invention is undoubtedly the light bulb, which made use of a carbonized cotton thread filament. Although certain British inventors worked on patents, Edison’s company worked towards perfecting the electric light bulb and providing electricity in American homes. Edison’s invention enabled manufacturers to work longer days and even into the night, which increased production capacity exponentially.
History
United Inventors Association of the USA, The Academy of Applied Science and Inventors’ Digest magazine founded National Inventors Month in 1998. The month-long event initially took place in August, but in 2011, the event later shifted to May to better align with the academic calendar year and National Inventors Hall of Fame induction ceremonies.
National Inventors Month recognizes the curiosity and imagination of the people who innovate and create. Since there has been a need for invention, inventors engineer creative solutions. Whether their patents are for improvements on previous designs or entirely new ideas, everyday inventors bring something into this world we didn’t know we needed.
At AMIP, we believe STEM learning activities are an early introduction to manufacturing foundations, including inventing or innovating technologies. To celebrate this month, our team put together a workbook for educators use below.