Inventors Who Have Shaped the Holiday Season

The winter holidays might very well be the most wonderful time of the year — and they also might be the most innovative. As we all celebrate with wintertime fun, we should also take a moment to acknowledge some of the creators and innovators in the National Inventors Hall of Fame^®, whose inventions have helped to make this season so magical.

Samuel Leeds Allen

There might be no better way to enjoy a fresh blanket of snow than to race downhill on a Flexible Flyer sled. Hall of Famer Samuel Leeds Allen patented this classic sled in 1889. With a pair of flexible, T-shaped runners, it’s designed to be easy for riders to control.

Edwin Binney

Nothing says “happy holidays” like a heartfelt card handmade with Crayola crayons. In 1903, innovator Edwin Binney recognized a need for a safe wax crayon. “Crayola” was born when his wife combined the French word craie (chalk) with oleagineux (oily). As the medium of choice for young artists’ refrigerator masterpieces, Crayola crayons add a bit of vibrancy to the season.

Milton Bradley

Board games have been bringing people together for generations, and gathering around the table for friendly competition with family is priceless during the holiday season. Board games come in a seemingly endless variety and were popularized in large part thanks to Hall of Famer Milton Bradley, who founded the Milton Bradley Co. in 1860.

William Bowerman

Are you part of a holiday 5K family or simply have an athletic kid on your gift list? You’ll likely find yourself heading down the sneaker aisle this winter! Hall of Famer Bill Bowerman held multiple patents that gave us the light and fast modern athletic shoe. He and his business partner formed the company known globally today as NIKE.

Richard Drew

No matter what gifts you might be giving this holiday season, you’re going to need some adhesive tape when you wrap them. The next time you reach for some, think of Hall of Famer Richard Drew — he invented the transparent Scotch^® cellophane tape in 1930.

Mick Mountz, Peter Wurman and Raffaello D’Andrea

Chances are you have ordered at least one item online this season that needed to be shipped. Co-inventors Mick Mountz, Peter Wurman and Raffaello D’Andrea created the Kiva system, which uses thousands of mobile robots to advance warehouse order fulfillment. This helps to reduce the time between selecting “checkout” and having the item arrive at your doorstep!

Learn More About Our World-Changing Hall of Famers

To learn more about visionary Hall of Famers whose innovations enhance our lives all year round, we invite you to visit our website.