Inventions Facts for Kids

Toilet paper was invented in China in the 6th century, but it didn't become widely used in the West until the 1800s.

The lighter was invented before the match — lighters came in 1823, but friction matches didn't appear until 1826.

The first general-purpose computer, ENIAC, filled an entire room and weighed over 27 tons.

The modern trampoline was invented in 1936 by a gymnast who was inspired by the safety nets used by trapeze artists.

The ice cream cone was popularised at the 1904 World's Fair when an ice cream vendor ran out of dishes.

X-rays were discovered by accident in 1895 when Wilhelm Roentgen noticed a strange glow coming from his equipment.

Windshield wipers were invented in 1903 by Mary Anderson after she noticed drivers struggling to see in the rain.

The first email was sent in 1971 by Ray Tomlinson, who also chose the @ symbol for email addresses.

Penicillin, the world's first antibiotic, was discovered by accident when Alexander Fleming noticed mold killing bacteria in 1928.

In 1992, a cargo ship spilled 28,000 rubber ducks into the ocean, and scientists used them to study ocean currents.