American Inventions that Changed the World

There are a few things we're proud of, these American inventions that changed the world. Relative to the other countries in the world we've been around for a short amount of time. Though only a few months shy of 242 years old, the United States of America has shaped the modern world with several game-changing innovations and technologies.Here is a short list of a few that we're the proudest of.1. FlightBefore the Wright brothers, the idea of man flying was something Leonardo Da Vinci only theorized. The Wright brothers took science and flew with it (literally). On that December day, the world would be revolutionized forever as aircraft soon became a part of travel, war, and shipping. We were set on a collision course that would ultimately see the United States on the moon, and break the sound barrier.

2. Assembly LineWith Henry Ford's perfection of the assembly line, the United States of America was set again on a collision course with history. While World War 2 raged on in Europe, the United States was crawling its way out of the Great Depression and factories capable of producing a vast number of war goods were on the rise. Then Pearl Harbor. The industrial might of the U.S. was summoned and we churned out planes, tanks, bullets and bombs at unprecedented speeds.

3. Nuclear SubmarineWhen it comes to submarine warfare, being the quietest often means you win. Thanks to inventor Hyman Rickover, the United States had first dibs on this technology and has been leading the way ever since. Another American invention that changed the world.

4. LaserLight Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. Lasers have made all of our lives better. From military to medical use, and even entertaining cats, lasers have revolutionized modern medicine and modern weaponry. We have the great Theodore H Maiman to thank for that, as he invented the first laser in 1960.

5. GPSIn 1994 the United States Air Force created that useful tool that helps us find the closest Starbucks to buy overpriced coffee. Everything from smart weapons, to finding shortcuts through traffic, GPS has improved travel times and improved fuel economy. The world wouldn't be quite the same if still relied on printouts from Map-Quest and a poor front passenger seat navigator (here's looking at you Karen)!