Enrico Fermi(1901-1954)

Have you ever heard of Enrico Fermi? My guess is you probably haven't. Well, Enrico Fermi was the man who first controlled nuclear fission, allowing the atomic bomb to be built.

Enrico Fermi was born in Rome, Italy. Fermi's family was a farming family. In 1915, Enrico's brother, Guilio, died. The two boys were very close. Fermi became depressed.

Like some other famous inventors, Fermi was not a good student. However, when he was in his teens, he began to study physics outside of school. A friend of Enrico's father, Ingegner Alimidei, began to see Enrico's gift for physics. He began to give him problems, making them harder and harder. Soon, Enrico, a now promising student, got a scholarship to Reale Scuola Normale Superior.

Fermi discovered that with all the problems he received, he was ahead of the rest of the class. By the end of the school year, Fermi was learning Einstein's, Theory of Relativity.

When Fermi reached the age of twenty, he got a degree as Doctor of Physics. In 1926 Fermi settled down as full Professor of Physics at University of Rome. He began to write papers about the atom.

In Rome, Fermi joined two of his friends, Emilio Segre and Franco Rasetti, and developed a research and teaching group that was amazing. While he was in this group, he invented tiddlywinks.

The three friends worked very hard to create artificial radiation. They tried many methods. Many of the elements produced artificial radiation. After many experiments Fermi discovered the 93rd element, Neptunium.

Fermi didn't realize that he was actually witnessing nuclear fission. Every time Fermi did an experiment, he put aluminum foil in place. This kept him from noticing the nuclear fission. Many scientists began using Fermi's experiment, but since they put the foil in place, as Fermi did, they never knew what they were doing. Finally two Swiss scientists forgot to put the foil in place. They noticed something was wrong and that led to the discovery of nuclear fission.

Fermi's work on the experiment led him to win the Nobel prize in 1938. Because of World War II, Fermi moved to the U. S. on January 2, 1939. He began to work at Columbia University. He formed a partnership with Niels Bohr. Fermi had to admit that the Germans were ahead in research on the atom.

At first, the U.S. government couldn't supply Fermi with the right materials to continue his experiment. But in 1942, the government decided to continue research on the atomic bomb and so he was able to continue his experiments at the University of Chicago.

While Fermi was experimenting, he discovered another element, plutonium. Finally, on December 2, 1942, in a secret laboratory under the football field at the University of Chicago, Fermi witnessed and controlled nuclear fission which led to the creation of the atomic bomb.

On August 6, 1945, a lone B-29 dropped a single atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan. This single bomb brought a quick end to World War II. An estimated 100,000 people died from the bomb.

For more information on Fermi, go to the site Enrico Fermi: Physicist.

Thomas Alva Edison(February 11, 1847- October 18, 1931)

In Milan, Ohio on February 11, 1847, someone was born, who was not just an ordinary person. This someone was named Thomas Alva Edison. He would just do anything to invent something. Whatever it took he did it. When he got an idea he would not give up. The phonograph, the light bulb, the movie camera, and sewing machine are just some of his many inventions that helped change the world.

Thomas did not go to school although he was a great reader. His mom tutored him at home. When he was twelve he got his first job at the train station as a train boy selling candy and newspapers. Books were so important to him that he spent all his money on them. One day while trying to catch a train a trainman reached and grabbed him by the ears. While pulling Edison up, something cracked in his ears and right after that he began to go deaf.

In 1871, Thomas Edison married Mary Stilwell. Thomas and Mary had a couple of kids together. Thirteen years later she died, and in 1886 he married Mina Miller.

When Thomas had made enough money he wanted to buy a laboratory in Menlo Park, New Jersey. He paid a group of scientist to think of inventions and see if the inventions would work. That setup worked so well other companies did this too. Now today every company and university in the whole world has a research department, and it all began with Edison's group in Menlo Park.

He is most famous for the invention of the electric light bulb also known as the incandescent lamp {in-kandes'-ent}. He had burned himself with candles so many times, he wanted a way to see without a candle. In 1878 he began experimenting and it took him just over a year to invent a practical light bulb. Edison founded the Electric Light Company in 1878.

In his 70's he still worked sixteen hours a day, and was one of the most famous men in America. By the time he died at West Orange, New Jersey on October 18, 1931 he had created over 1000 inventions.

George Eastman (1854-1932)

Can you imagine not having a camera? Well, kids in George Eastman's time couldn't imagine having a camera! George Eastman made it possible for kids to have a camera to put in their pocket.

George was born in Waterville, New York. He came from a poor family. George's father died when he was very young. George worked for his family when he was thirteen. In 1874, George got a job as a junior bookkeeper at the Rochester Savings Bank.

When George had been working at the bank for a while he decided he needed a vacation. He decided to travel to Santo Domingo. George's friends told him to buy a camera to take on his trip.

George discovered that buying a camera was a big project. There was no such thing as film in the 1870's. Photographers took pictures with glass plates. The plates were coated with a chemical mixture named collodion. The picture had to be developed immediately after the photo was taken. George paid $5.00 for photography lessons.

Instead of going to Santo Domingo, George went to Mackinac Island, Michigan. In Michigan, George began to tire of lugging all his camera equipment around.

Soon George read that English photographers were using dry plates. The plates were coated with gelatine emulsion. George began to work on his own gelatine emulsion. He worked and worked until he finally created his own gelatine emulsion.

In 1880 George announced he was leaving the bank. He went into the dry plate business. The Eastman dry plate company officially opened January 1, 1881. By November 1881, the company was making 4000 dry plates a month.

One day, photographers were complaining the plates weren't working. George began making a new gelatine emulsion. He did 469 experiments, but the plates still didn't work.

George Eastman then had the idea to make a camera with no plates. George took a long thin roll of paper, coated it with collodion, and named it film. In March, 1885, George's new invention was ready to be shipped. However the other photographers didn't like the idea. They liked to keep their customer there while developing the picture, keeping the customer mesmerized, waiting to see what the picture would look like.

In 1888, George produced a small, 22 ounce camera. The photographer would take pictures, then ship the camera back to the Eastman company. George realized his camera didn't have a name. George simply chose his favorite letters and made the name Kodak. Soon George made a slogan, "You press the button, we do the rest."

In December, 1889, The Eastman Kodak company was founded. Thomas Edison ordered a camera that summer. He used Eastman's camera to help develop his motion picture camera.

In 1891 The Eastman Kodak company produced spooled film. The photographer could load the film in their camera by themselves. George's company began to mass-produce cameras. George's cameras had names such as Brownie which was a camera designed for children. The Falcon and Bulls Eye were cameras designed for adults.

George became a millionaire. He liked to give money to help other people. George's first project was a dentist clinic in Rochester. Soon kids could have their teeth checked for a nickel.

Lots of George's chemists came from M.I.T. George made a large donation to the school. Another school that got a donation from Eastman was Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. George Washington Carver was doing great things there.

George Eastman was a great man. His main invention was film. He donated a lot of his money to schools and charity. Thanks to his invention, we have handheld cameras.

John Deere

Did you ever take the time to really think about where things come from and who invented them? Well in this report I am going to tell you who invented something amazing. That thing is the steel plow and John Deere invented it.

In the year of 1804 in Rutland , Vermont a boy named John Deere was born. Deere had a couple of early jobs, but he was always interested in the blacksmiths in his neighborhood. In the year 1821 Deere was hired as a blacksmith. After his first year people began to notice his work. Deere was always making little things out of leftover metals. In 1829 Deere built his own business in Leicester.

In 1837, after many years of studying, Deere invented the first steel plow that turned American prairie sod. Deere became one of the worlds greatest plow makers. In 1837 he opened a blacksmith shop in Grand Detour, ILL. He learned that the farmers were not happy with their plows because the sod got stuck. Deere built a hard moldboard out of saw material in 1837 which worked better. He worked with his partner Leonard Andruss. Within 10 years Deere and Andruss were producing 1000 plows yearly.

In 1846 Deere started a new company in Moline, ILL. In 1857 he was making 10,000 plows yearly. In 1868 the company was incorporated as Deere and Company. His company ranks one of the largest industrial corporation companies in the United States. In 1886 John Deere died.

Even though we don't use the plow in our own homes it is still a very important invention to some people. We were lucky enough to have a wonderful person like John Deere to have made the plow a lot easier to use.

Marie Curie a Radiant Discovery

Marie Curie had a radiant life in her discovery of radium. She brought forth an important discovery.

Manya Sklodowska was born in 1867 in Poland. She, being the youngest of six, had a hard childhood when her mother died of tuberculosis. Manya and her sister Bronya grew up together. With a little help, Bronya and Manya finished their education.

She married a French scientist named Pierre Curie and changed her name to Marie Curie. Together the two scientists made a great discovery before tragedy happened.

Marie and Pierre, in their little wooden shed in France, isolated something called pitch blend. They found one element that would be the key to their success. This element is called radium. Now they wanted to try to take a bit of radium out of the pitch blend to study on its own. To complete the task of isolation, Marie stirred pitch blend in a large pot while Pierre analyzed the element.

In 1902 Marie and Pierre decided to go to the shed, not to work but just to check to see if the isolation was going okay. They reached the shed at the perfect time. On arrival they saw a beautiful blue light shining through the door...

RADIUM!

Radium was used some years ago and now. It was used for a variety of purposes; treating cancer, an ingredient for fluorescent paint used for dials on things like watches, now radium has been replaced for better, safer medical uses.

That goes to show you that two people, such as yourself and a friend, could work for a few years, and discover something amazing. Try your luck!

Marie Curie a Radiant Discovery

Marie Curie had a radiant life in her discovery of radium. She brought forth an important discovery.

Manya Sklodowska was born in 1867 in Poland. She, being the youngest of six, had a hard childhood when her mother died of tuberculosis. Manya and her sister Bronya grew up together. With a little help, Bronya and Manya finished their education.

She married a French scientist named Pierre Curie and changed her name to Marie Curie. Together the two scientists made a great discovery before tragedy happened.

Marie and Pierre, in their little wooden shed in France, isolated something called pitch blend. They found one element that would be the key to their success. This element is called radium. Now they wanted to try to take a bit of radium out of the pitch blend to study on its own. To complete the task of isolation, Marie stirred pitch blend in a large pot while Pierre analyzed the element.

In 1902 Marie and Pierre decided to go to the shed, not to work but just to check to see if the isolation was going okay. They reached the shed at the perfect time. On arrival they saw a beautiful blue light shining through the door...

RADIUM!

Radium was used some years ago and now. It was used for a variety of purposes; treating cancer, an ingredient for fluorescent paint used for dials on things like watches, now radium has been replaced for better, safer medical uses.

That goes to show you that two people, such as yourself and a friend, could work for a few years, and discover something amazing. Try your luck!

George Washington Carver

Have you ever wondered where we got all this peanut stuff from? No, peanut butter ice cream didn't just appear in the stores one day. It was created by a wonderful man! Well, maybe you don't think he is wonderful, but without this man we wouldn't have many of the peanut products that we have today. He even made soap out of peanut items! He made a big impact on the world.

George Washington Carver was born on a slave farm near Diamond, Missouri. In 1864, after his birth his father died in an accident and he and his mother were kidnapped. The kidnappers took him and his mother to Arkansas. Carver's mother was never seen again, but Carver was brought back to his house. Carver was brought up by the people that owned his parents. Carver would wander outside when he had extra time and examine the plants. Carver soon learned that blacks were not allowed to go to some schools. At the age of ten Carver asked his parent's permission to go to a black school in Neosha which was 8 miles away. That was the start of George Washington Carver's education.

In 1880 Carver entered Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa. At first Carver was interested in art, but he then decided to focus on agriculture. After researching a lot about agriculture Carver went to Iowa State College. His teachers were very impressed with his work. They were so impressed that they appointed him to the faculty when he completed his undergraduate work in 1894. He was Iowa State's first black faculty member.

Carver moved to Alabama to join the faculty at Tuskegee Institute. Tuskegee was an industry and agriculture school for blacks. Carver became director of a state agriculture station. He began to study ways of improving crop products. He taught more productive agriculture to black farmers.

After 1914 Carver started to research peanuts. Carver wondered why people were just planting certain products like cotton or corn? Carver showed many people that peanuts were good farming products by making speeches and presentations. Carver wanted to encourage farmers to plant different products. He showed people that peanuts were nutritious and would be a great thing to grow. Many farmers in southern states started to grow peanuts. George Washington Carver made over 300 peanut products out of plants including ink, milk, and soap. Carver was called, " the Peanut Man". Carver also made 118 sweet potato products!

In 1940 Carver gave his life savings of $33,000 to Tuskegee Institute. Carver got many awards including, the Spingarn Medal, the Theodore Roosevelt Medal, and he was named a fellow of Royal Society of Arts of London.

So next time you eat some bread with peanut butter or wash your hands in peanut soap just remember George Washington Carver.