The printing press. The automobile. The internet. Electricity. Penicillin. Glasses. Sliced bread! Sliced bread!

Do we ever stop to consider how outlandish our thinking was when inventing these products? Or how courageous those inventors had to be to create something no one has ever seen before? It’s unlikely! Inventor’s Month was invented!

The United Inventors Association of the USA (UIA) and the Academy of Applied Science started National Inventors Month in 1998. Joanne Hayes Rines, editor at Inventors Digest, stated that National Inventors Month is a sponsor. “We want recognize those talented and brave individuals who dare be blatantly inventive, and therefore different and whose achievements affect every aspect of our lives.”

People think of inventors when they think about Alexander Graham Bell and Henry Ford. This is a good thing. Those people have a huge impact on how we live today. They invented the telephone and automobile.

It’s easy to forget, however, that technological innovation is still advancing in a world of electronics and gadgets. Do you need proof? Shunpei Yamazaki is the reason our LCD screens wouldn’t work without her. Mark Zuckerberg, the man who invented the best way to share photos of our cats. Stephen Hawking, whose insightful thoughts in cosmology have changed the way that humanity views the universe.

Inventors Month recognizes the creativity of inventors all over the world, both dead and alive. It also encourages everyone to be creative.

There are a few great ways to celebrate Inventor’s Month. The first is to think about your favorite inventions and how much it means to you that they were created. Perhaps you have poor vision and would not be able to live your life without contact lenses. Perhaps you work long hours, and your microwave is your hero. Maybe you are a wife or husband who wouldn’t be able to live without a dishwasher. No matter what your favorite invention, it is worth taking the time to learn more about its creator. It doesn’t matter if your life is made so much easier by the invention, it would be a good idea to learn a little bit about the history.

You could also consider patenting your invention to celebrate this month. The average person has one to two ideas per month that could lead to a successful career. What are you waiting to do? This month is inventor’s month. Use it to spark your creativity and discover what you can do! There is no way to become the next Alexander Fleming. So don’t worry about what might happen if your invention does not make an impact.

It is important that you were bold enough to go places no man has ever gone before. That would make all the inventors who came before you proud.