Benjamin Franklin, born in 1706 in Boston, Massachusetts, was a very important person in American history. He was good at many things, including inventing, writing, and science. Franklin helped America become independent and signed the Declaration of Independence.  While people often think he discovered electricity by flying a kite,  but his true success was inventing the lightning rod to save buildings from a lightning strike. He invented bifocals to enable people to see from both near and far distances. Franklin started the first public library and fire department in America. His inventions and ideas still affect our lives today.

Thomas Edison, born over 175 years ago in Milan, Ohio, is one of the world's most famous inventors. Known for his curiosity and determination from a young age, he created his first significant invention, a vote recorder, at just 21. While he didn't invent the lightbulb, he made crucial improvements by discovering that carbonized bamboo could be used as a filament, making the lightbulb last much longer. This innovation revolutionized home and city lighting. Edison also invented the phonograph, the first device to record and playback sound, and one of the earliest movie cameras, the kinetograph. Throughout his life, Edison held over a thousand patents, marking him as a true genius in the world of invention.

George Washington Carver, born into slavery in the early 1860s, is best known for his innovations with peanuts and agriculture. Although he is sometimes credited for it, he did not invent peanut butter.  Instead Carver discovered over 300 uses for peanuts, making them an important crop for farmers.   His most significant contribution was in agriculture through crop rotation, where he advised alternating crops like peanuts and sweet potatoes to improve soil health and reduce pests. This practice revolutionized farming and is still used today. Carver's work helped countless farmers and earned him the honor of being the first African American to have a national monument dedicated to him, located in his birthplace Missouri.

Nancy Johnson, born in 1795, is credited with revolutionizing ice cream making. While ice cream had been enjoyed for thousands of years, it was very difficult to make. In the early 19th century, Johnson invented the "artificial freezer," a hand-cranked device that made it easier and quicker to create ice cream. This invention allowed anyone to make ice cream at home, changing the way people enjoyed this treat. Although she didn't make much money from her invention, Johnson's impact on ice cream production is immeasurable, contributing to the $104 billion ice cream industry we see today.

Admiral Grace Hopper, born in 1906, was a brilliant woman known for her work with computers. She had a curious mind and loved machines, eventually becoming the first woman to earn a PhD in mathematics from Yale University. Hopper joined the Navy, serving for 42 years and rising to the rank of Rear Admiral. While working with the Harvard Mark I computer, she realized that computers needed special instructions to work properly. This led her to invent COBOL, an easy-to-understand programming language that became widely used. Even though COBOL is now considered old, some companies still use it today. Hopper's contributions to computer science have had a lasting impact.

​Tim Berners-Lee, born in 1955, is a groundbreaking inventor who changed the world by creating the World Wide Web in 1991. Growing up with a keen interest in computers, he realized that while computers were fascinating, they couldn't easily share information. Working as a scientist, Berners-Lee thought, "What if we could connect computers and share information worldwide?" This idea led to the invention of the World Wide Web, allowing anyone, anywhere to create websites and share information. His invention, known to most as the Internet, has profoundly impacted the way we live, work, and communicate, revolutionizing the modern world.

A unique school assembly gives young students the chance to see, meet and interact with some of history's greatest inventors.  Book your school asap!