Firsts (27 page)

In 1851, Elias Howe of Spencer, Massachusetts (and of sewing-machine-inventor fame), was granted a patent for his version of the zipper. Although Howe decided not to commercialize his “automatic, continuous clothing closure,” as he called it, his device was the predecessor of later and improved zippers. Howe’s zipper was a crude device that had no slider. Instead, it used a series of clasps that slid freely along both edges and joined by a string. By pulling the string taut, the clasps became evenly spaced along the closure, holding the edges together. To open it, one would pull the string in the other direction, which allowed the clasps to become bunched up at one end to be undone. The term
zipper
did not come about until 1925 or 1926 with later, improved versions.

Around 2100 B.C.E., King Shulgi of the third dynasty of Ur, or what is now southeast Iraq, established the earliest known zoo. His collections of exotic animals became prized trophies of war gathered for him by his conquering armies, and he also sent out expeditions to seek new additions. Although this earliest zoo was not open to the public, it was something for Shulgi to boast and brag about to neighboring kingdoms. A zoo was a measure of power, prestige, and wealth. His zoo was a makeshift collection of caves, pens, and roped-off areas and included chained-up lions, tigers, bears, wolves, and elephants. Birds were also caged. Shulgi fathered more than 50 children, and it was noted that several of them loved the zoo.

Correspondence School

Dental College

Fraternity

Medical School

Military School

Nursing School

Public Library

Public School

Seminary

Bird Banding

Cat Show

Cloned Animal

Dinosaur Fossil

Dog Show

Endangered Species List

Flea Circus

Horse to Win the Triple Crown

Panda Born in Captivity

Pet Cemetery

Pet Food

Rodeo

Zoo

Air-Raid Shelter

Amphitheater Stadium

Aqueduct

Baseball Stadium

Big-Box Store

Brick

Castle

Concrete Highway

Drive-In Movie Theater

Drive-Thru Restaurant

Elevator

Escalator

Football Stadium

Greenhouse

Hydroelectric Plant

Indoor Skating Rink

Lighthouse

Log Cabin

Mobile Home

Mosque

Motel

Movie Theater

Observatory

Planetarium

Quarry

Revolving Restaurant

Shopping Mall

Skyscraper

Steel Bridge

Steel-Frame Building

Subway

Toll Bridge

Tunnel

Art Exhibition

Ballet

Broadway Musical

Caricature

Dance Contest

Detective Story

English Novel

Female Professional Artist

Gold-Record Recording Artist

Literary Agent

Opera

Origami

Photograph

Piano

Poet Laureate

Polka

Public Museum

Tap Dancer

Vaudeville Show

24-Hour Store

Advertising Agency

Assembly Line

Big-Box Store

Billionaire

Calculator

Cash Register

Computer

Computer Mouse

Corporation

Credit Card

E-Mail

Electric Power Company

Factory

Fax

Financial Bubble

Franchise

Holding Company

Insurance

Laptop Computer

Mail-Order Business

Minimum Wage

Money

Money Order

Monopoly

Punch Clock

Purchase on Credit

Sales Tax

Stock

Stock Exchange

Stock Ticker

Traveler’s Check

Word Processor

Computer

Computer Mouse

Computer Virus

Cyber Café

Digital Music

E-Mail

Internet Domain

Laptop Computer

Online Dating Service

Search Engine

Spam E-Mail

Website

Bank Robbery

Dental Record of Forensic Evidence

Detective Story

DUI Arrest

Electric Chair Execution

FBI Agent

Fingerprint

Forensic Autopsy

Hanging Death

Lethal Injection

Lie Detector

Police Department

Probation Officer

Serial Killer

Skyjacking

Speeding Ticket

Bikini

Blue Jeans

Brassiere

Button

Celebrity Clothing Line

Corset

Earmuff

False Eyelashes

Fashion Show

Glove

GORE-TEX Fabric

Hair Dye

High Heel

Maternity Clothes

Miniskirt

Polyester

Sneaker

Spandex

Top Hat

Tuxedo

Velcro

Zipper

Airline Meal

Aluminum Cookware

Beer

Bourbon Whiskey

Breakfast Cereal

Bubble Gum

Burger Chain

Caesar Salad

Can Opener

Canned Beer

Canned Food

Carbonated Soft Drink

Carhop

Cheese in a Can

Cheeseburger

Chocolate Bar

Chocolate-Chip Cookie

Chopsticks

Coffee Bar

Cookbook

Diner

Drive-Thru Restaurant

Fast-Food Restaurant

Food Processor

Fortune Cookie

Frozen Food

Instant Coffee

Instant Creamer

Margarine

Microwave Oven

Milk Carton

Popcorn

Popsicle

Potato Chip

Pull-Tab Can

Refrigerator

Restaurant

Revolving Restaurant

Sandwich

Sliced Bread

TV Dinner

African American Political Party National Chairman

African American President of the United States

Female Astronaut

Female Bullfighter

Female Governor

Female Judge

Female Nobel Prize Winner

Female Olympic Gold Medalist

Female Olympic Individual Event Champion

Female Professional Artist

Female Sports Announcer, Radio

Female Sports Announcer, TV

Female Supreme Court Judge

Hispanic Astronaut

Movie Actress

TV Interracial Kiss

Women’s Golf Tournament

Women’s Professional Sports Team

African American Political Party National Chairman

African American President of the United States

Census Survey

Civil Service Exam

Female Governor

Female Judge

Female Supreme Court Judge

Filibuster

Green Card

Income Tax

King

Minimum Wage

Money

National Flag

National Holiday

Passport

Pension Plan

Political Party

Popular Election

Post Office

Postage Stamp

Presidential Hotline

Presidential Inaugural Ball, Children’s

Presidential Inaugural Ball, Neighborhood

Presidential Pardon

Public Library

Republic

Sales Tax

Secret Service Agent

Social Security Check Issued

Voting Machine

Analgesic Pain Pill,

Bifocals

Birth Control Pill,

Contact Lenses

Dental Floss

Deodorant Soap

Disposable Diaper

Disposable Tissue

False Eyelashes

Hair Dye

Handheld Mirror

Hearing Aid

Liquid Soap

Mouthwash

Penicillin

Petroleum Jelly

Sulfa Drug

Sunscreen Product

Toothpaste in a Tube

African American Political Party National Chairman

African American President of the United States

Calendar

Census Survey

Clock

Daylight Saving Time

Female Astronaut

Female Bullfighter

Female Governor

Female Judge

Female Nobel Prize Winner

Female Olympic Gold Medalist

Female Olympic Individual Event Champion

Female Professional Artist

Female Sports Announcer, Radio

Female Sports Announcer, TV

Female Supreme Court Judge

Genocide

Gold Rush

Hispanic Astronaut

Immigrant to Pass Through Ellis Island

Influenza Epidemic

King

Printing Press

Public School

System of Measurement

System of Writing

World Population Exceeding 1 Billion

World’s Fair

Baseball Card

Bicycle

Billiard Table

Bingo

Bowling Alley

Bungee Jump

Casino

Circus

Croquet Set

Dice

Ferris Wheel

Frisbee

Jigsaw Puzzle

Kite

Pinball Game Machine

Playing Cards

Pogo Stick

Roller Coaster

Ski Lift

Slot Machine

Snowmobile

Soapbox Derby

Video Game

Yacht

Yo-Yo

Adhesive Tape

Aerosol Spray

Aluminum Cookware

Box Spring

Calendar

Can Opener

Central Heating

Clock

Disposable Tissue

Electric Toaster

Eraser

Fire Extinguisher

Fluorescent Lamp

Folding Stepladder

Fork

Garbage Bag

Indoor Toilet

Lawnmower

Liquid Soap

Matchbook

Microwave Oven

Paperclip

Pencil

Refrigerator

Safety Match

Safety Pin

Sewing Machine

Smoke Detector

Super Glue

TV Remote Control

Umbrella

Washing Machine

Wheelbarrow

911 System

Advertising Jingle

Advice Column

Area Code

Braille Encoding

Camera to Use Film Rolls

Cell Phone

Comic Strip

E-Mail

English Novel

Fax

Game Show

Internet Domain

Loudspeaker

Music Video

News Agency

News Correspondent

Newspaper

Newsreel

Overnight Mail

Paperback Book

Photograph

Photojournalist

Printing Press

Public Library

Radio

Radio Station

Satellite

Search Engine

Spam E-Mail

Sport to Be Filmed

Telegraph

Telephone

Transistor Radio

TV Guide,
National

Website

World Map

911 System

Ambulance Service

Analgesic Pain Pill,