Sylvan Nathan Goldman (11-15-1898 – 11-25-1984)

The first shopping cart was introduced on June 4, 1937, the
invention of Sylvan Goldman, (above) owner of the Humpty
Dumpty supermarket chain in Oklahoma.

Sir Timothy John Berners-Lee

On April 30, 1993, four years after publishing a proposal for
“an idea of linked information systems,” computer scientist
Tim Berners-Lee (above) released the source code for the
world’s first web browser and editor. Originally called Mesh,
the browser that he dubbed WorldWideWeb became the first
royalty-free, easy-to-use means of browsing the emerging
information network that developed into the internet as we
know it today.

Berners-Lee was a fellow at CERN, the research organization headquartered in Switzerland. Other research institutions like
the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford
University had developed complex systems for internally
sharing information, and Berners-Lee sought a means of
connecting CERN’s system to others.

Hymen L. Lipman (1817-1893)

(FOXNEWS) – Philadelphia inventor Hymen L. Lipman rushed
heroically to the aid of mistake-prone schoolchildren, artists
and draftsmen everywhere when he secured the patent for the
pencil with eraser on this day in history, March 30, 1858. 

"Be it known that I, Hymen L. Lipman, of Philadelphia, in the
county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have
invented a new and useful Lead-Pencil and Eraser;" the
visionary wrote in his patent application.

"I make a lead-pencil in the usual manner, reserving about
one-fourth of the length, in which I make a groove of suitable
size … and insert in this groove a piece of prepared India
rubber (or other erasive substance) secured to said pencil
by being glued at one edge."

The eraser, he noted in his application, "is particularly valuable 
for removing or erasing lines, figures, etc., and not subject to
be soiled or mislaid on the table or desk" — as if the purpose
of an eraser was unknown to mid-19th century consumers. 

SANDY KOZEL

Walter Matthau, left,  and Art Carney on Broadway in Neil Simon’s The Odd Couple.

Neil Simon Broadway play The Odd Couple debuted in 1965
and starred Walter Matthau (who would go to play the same
role in the film) and Art Carney as Felix Ungar. Matthau won
a Tony award for his portrayal, one of a slew of accolades
the play received.

On March 7, 1876, 29-year-old Alexander Graham Bell received
a patent for his revolutionary new invention: the telephone.