CHICAGO (WGN) — Regarding innovative, transformative inventions in Illinois, the state certainly has its share. The Ferris Wheel, the Skyscraper, and even the field of dentistry are among the significant innovations originating from Illinois.
But do some exist that you may not know about? WGN-TV has compiled a short list of items that originated in Illinois:
Mobile phone
On April 6, 1973, Chicago native Martin Cooper, the inventor of the mobile phone, made the first mobile call. Cooper, a researcher and executive at Motorola, is primarily considered the “father of the cell phone,” having led the team responsible for its creation.
As outlined by Britannica.com, driven by the idea that the cell phone should be portable and not limited to use in vehicles, Cooper and his team developed the DynaTAC (Dynamic Adaptive Total Area Coverage) phone, which had a height of 23 cm (9 inches) and a weight of 1.1 kg (2.5 pounds).
The phone is often referred to as a brick phone due to its resemblance.
Users paid $3,500 for the phone, equivalent to more than $25,000 in today’s dollars, based on inflation.
Twinkies
The delicious “Golden Child” of Hostess was invented on April 6, 1930, at Continental Baking Company in western suburban Schiller Park.
According to the Hostess, baker James Alexander Dewar was behind the idea of sponge cakes, with the original filling consisting of banana-flavored cream filling, and later replaced by the vanilla cream filling that generations have grown to love.
Dewar noticed shortbread pans not in use and came up with the idea.
The name Twinkie also stems from a billboard near the production plant that bore the name “Twinkle Toe Shoes.”
The Twinkie now comes in various flavors and remains a popular snack among Illinoisans and beyond.
Spray paint
Edward Seymour is credited with inventing spray paint in west suburban Sycamore in 1949.
According to Seymourpaint.com, Seymour created the first aerosolized spray paint can by inventing a novelty spray can to demonstrate an aluminum paint he had made for painting steam radiators. Based on the same principle as spray deodorizers and insecticides, the device featured a small can of paint equipped with an aerosol propellant and fitted with a spray head.
“Soon after perfecting the first spray can, Ed and the employees of his new company formulated the paint, which was mixed and filled with aerosol using a combination of customized and specially engineered machinery.”
