International Women's Day: 10 top inventions by women

For International Women's Day 2013, we celebrate pioneering female scientists

International Women's Day is held every year on 8 March to promote women's rights, issues and achievements around the world. To mark this year's celebrations, we take a look at some of history's greatest female inventors and scientists.

Bette Nesmith Graham: correction fluid (1951)

 

Bette Nesmith Graham, an American typist and commercial artist, struck a tremendously important blow against typos in 1951, inventing the first correction fluid in the confines of her kitchen.

Stephanie Kwolek: Kevlar (1964)

Stephanie Kwolek, a Polish-American chemist, is best known for the invention of poly-paraphenylene terephtalamide. Say what? Well, it's popularly known as 'Kevlar', and is now used in the production of everything from bicycle tires to body armour. Soldiers who have survived dangerous combat situations in many ways owe their lives to her.

Mary Anderson: windscreen wiper (1903)

Today, rain and bird droppings are much less of a problem for motorists thanks to Mary Anderson, an American born in Alabama. By creating a device that improves visibility during harsh conditions, millions and millions of lives were saved, and driving became a whole lot easier.

 

Tabitha Babbitt: circular saw (1813)

The circular saw is, of course, well known for its appearances in horror or hardcore action movies, where it's employed to dismember parts of the human body in a grizzly fashion. But it does have legitimate uses. American Tabitha Babbitt built the first circular saw for use in a lumber mill, greatly increasing the efficiency and productivity of the lumber industry.

Marion Donovan: disposable nappy (1946)

Marion Donovan (an American entrepreneur) solved the problem of perpetually smelly babies by inventing the disposable nappy. Soon, child-rearing activities became much more tolerable and parents did not have to drown in prodigious amounts of baby waste.

Hedy Lamarr: advances in torpedo technology (1940)

Hedy Lamarr, Hollywood sex symbol and brilliant rocket scientist. Although popularly known for her sometimes controversial film roles, she (and a composer friend) invented a system by which radio-guided torpedoes could not be jammed by the enemy. This technology has since been the basis of everything from mobile phones to wireless internet protocols.

Josephine Cochrane: dishwasher (1886)

Josephine Cochrane, an American socialite, created the first practical mechanical dishwasher, turning chore into technological miracle and liberating many hands from soapy waters. Today, many restaurants, hotels, and large events can't do without it

Martha J Coston: signal flare (1859)

Working on her late husband's unfinished project, American Martha Coston eventually turned out a practical signalling system using flares for the navy. Today, everything from military to rescue operations depend heavily on flares as a mode of communication.

Anna Connelly: fire escape (1887)

You're in your home or at work. There's fire everywhere. You're totally freaking out. Where do you go? Because of Anna Connelly, who patented the first fire escape in 1887 (with exterior staircase and all), you get to live another day.

Ruth Graves Wakefield: chocolate chip cookie (1930)

One of the greatest and most understated inventions in human history. And surely the tastiest of the greatest. Ruth Wakefield ran an American tourist lodge and toll house with her husband and accidentally stumbled into the creation of the chocolate chip cookie. Decades later, it is embraced almost everywhere in the world.