ADVANCING TECHNOLOGY Many stories of people behind important advances in technology are just beginning to be told People like Ada Lovelace who was the world's first computer programmer in the 1800s and Grace Hopper who developed some of the first modern computer programming languages are finally receiving recognition Lovelace and Hopper helped make modern computers possible
Lovelace discovered that a computer could follow a program or a series of instructions From the invention of color television to how we use the internet people from underrepresented groups have played a key role These innovators completed groundbreaking work that made possible many modern devices and tools that we use every day Hopper second from right works on an early commercial computer in 1960
PROBLEM SOLVERS Inventions usually start with a problem The following inventors came across a problem and decided to fix it Their inventions have greatly improved people's lives Granville T. Woods improved communication by inventing the induction telegraph
GRANVILLE T. WOODS Woods created a company to develop and build his inventions GRANVILLE T. WOODS Granville T. Woods was a creative inventor He registered about sixty patents over his life Born in 1856 Woods was fascinated by electricity During his early twenties he moved to New York City He worked during the day and took classes at night Since Black people were not allowed to use the city's library then he had to ask friends to get books for him Woods improved long distance communication with his invention of telegraphony It allowed both voice and telegraph messages to be sent over the same line The invention was so successful he sold the patent to Alexander Graham Bell Woods also invented the induction telegraph It is a communication system that allowed train engineers to talk with one another which prevented many accidents
