Alexander Graham Bell, inventor
Mar. 3, 1847-Aug 2, 1922
Alexander Graham Bell by Leonard Everett Fisher (Atheneum, 1999)
Hello? The inventor of the telephone and other inventions is featured in this bio about his childhood and beyond.
The Franklin Institute Resources of Science Learning offers a short article about Bell’s Telephone and the history of telephones.
by Anne on February 11, 2010
Thomas Edison, inventor
Feb. 11, 1847-Oct. 18, 1931

A Picture Book of Thomas Alva Edison by David A. Adler, illustrated by John C. Wallner and Alexandra Wallner (Holiday House, 1996)
In this biography of a man who was always thinking ahead, readers will learn about Edison’s inventions as well as his life.
At a site hosted by Rutgers, you’ll find The Edison Papers, a collection of over five million pages of documents. Search Edison’s bio, patents, inventions and other related materials.
by Anne on February 2, 2010
John P. Parker, abolitionist, inventor
Feb. 2, 1827-Jan. 30, 1900
Freedom River by Doreen Rappaport, illustrated by Bryan Collier (Jump At the Sun, 2000)
This Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Book recounts the story of ex-slave John P. Parker, and his efforts to assist others in gaining freedom through the Underground Railroad.
The Autobiography of John Parker, an Online Archival Collection at Duke University gives visitors information about Parker and links to Underground Railroad sites.
by Anne on January 4, 2010
Louis Braille, inventor
Jan. 4, 1809-Jan. 6, 1854
Louis Braille by Dennis B. Fradin, illustrated by Rob Sauber (Silver Burdett, 1997)
Louis Braille, a French boy who lost his sight as a young boy, invented a reading system for the blind when he was only 15.
Learn Braille’s alphabet and number system at the American Foundation for the Blind site.
by Anne on January 3, 2010
Johann Gutenberg, inventor
1398-Feb. 3, 1468
Gutenberg by Leonard Everett Fisher (Atheneum, 1993)
The Gutenberg Bible anyone? Setbacks abounded, but Gutenberg ultimately succeeded. He revolutionized printing with the invention of adjustable type, creating mass-produced works for the first time.
Look inside one of the five copies of the Gutenberg Bible in the U.S. at an online exhibit at the Ransom Center at The University of Texas at Austin. Then roam through the other associated links.