About InventionDB

A database of 106 inventions from controlled fire 1.5 million years ago to CRISPR gene editing. Covering every field of human endeavor: medicine, communication, energy, transport, and more.

Each invention page lists the inventor (where known), the year or period, its category and where it originated, followed by the story of how it came about. Other inventions in the same category are linked from each page.

Browse by era or category from the homepage, or use the search box to find an invention by name, inventor or country. The FAQ and blog cover the most important and the most accidental inventions.