20 Things You Never Knew About Famous Inventions

"It was most likely a rather crude instrument comprised of reeds stuck into a goatskin bag. As civilization spread throughout the Middle East and into the Mediterranean lands, the people brought along their music."

Electric ignition system just one of 'Boss' Kettering’s enduring automotive inventions

An article in Autoweek refreshed many memories of Charles “Boss” Kettering, recognized as the Thomas A. Edison of the automobile industry. Kettering, known by many of our readers as a co-founder of the Sloan-Kettering Memorial Hospital in New York City, held 140 patents. His most famous, of course, was the self-starter. The automobile self-starter, that is.

Music, inventions, film screenings and art are part of city’s Black History Month observance

Mayor Bill Finch began the city's Black History Month observance Feb. 2 at City Hall Annex with "The History of Soul Food," a presentation by Chef Pierre-Andre Desruisseaux of Metric Bar & Grill in Downtown Bridgeport, talk about the history and meaning of Soul Food. DoingItLocal.com supplied the video.

After a Century of Silence, Otto von Bismarck Speaks Again

On Oct. 21, 1889, Theo Wangemann, an associate of Thomas Edison, visited the estate of legendary German Field Marshal Count Helmuth von Moltke. His purpose was to show the famous aristocrat one of Edison's latest inventions -- the phonograph. After listening to some recordings, an impressed Moltke leaned into the "recording horn" and declared:

Edison tops Jobs as world's greatest innovator

Creator of light bulb and phonograph, among many other inventions, ranked No. 1 in Lemelson-MIT survey

Billion Dollar Quarterly Research & Development Club: Who Turns R&D Into Stockholder Gains?

Looking for stocks with long-term growth potential? Theoretically, at least, companies pouring money into researching new products should offer great shareholder returns, as laboratories churn out patentable and marketable inventions.