It is not just the experienced “old farts” who are great inventors, there have been many as young as their teens who have come up with great, sometimes even revolutionary creations.
Young people can invent, that is a fact. Sometimes they lack the experience and know how, but the ideas are there, and always have been. Some very unique ideas have come out of the minds of teenagers. Many of these teenagers subsequently went on to make even bigger and more lavish inventions as they got older. Here is a list of just some of the Famous Teen Inventors.
♦ Add it up: Young People can Invent ♦
Blaise Pascal was only 19 years old made the first mechanical adding machine. He made it for his father, a clerk had to do a lot of mathematical calculation. Pascal created a mechanical version of what would become the calculator. It was a large contraption that worked by turning a series of dials. With it, addition and subtraction could be performed with rapidity. Since he did this in 1642 it makes him our “oldest” famous teen inventor.
♦ First you must Reap ♦
At only 15 years old, Cyrus McCormick created a cradle for harvesting grain. This would only be the first of many inventions having to do with farm equipment. A few years later, barely out of his teens he created the “McCormick Reaper” which truly revolutionized the cutting of grain crops and made him a fortune.
♦ Benjamin Franklin- The first blogger? ♦
When Ben was a Teen he delivered newspapers. He began to also make a commentary, published anonymously, about life and his observations. These comments would grow to be loved and cherished and would grow into his “Poor Richards Almanac”. Franklin went on to become a prodigious inventor, writer and statesman.
♦ School Project or National Icon ♦
The current 50 state version of the American flag was designed by a 17 year old High School student. He made a model of the flag for a high school project. He did not like the grade he received and the teacher made a deal with him. He could get his grade increased if he got congress to accept his flag. Of course he did. That is a heck of a long way to go to raise a grade!
♦ From Stamps to Steel ♦
Henry Bessemer, who is best known for his inventions in the processing of Steel, the Bessemer process; also started his career as an inventor as a teen. At the time his government was being swindled by people reusing title stamps. He created a pretty simple Idea of title stamps. From stamps to steel, it is easy to see how inventive some of these men would become.
