On April 16, 1845, Brooklynite Sarah Mather was granted a patent for an invention she called a “submarine telescope” – an “Apparatus for Examining Objects Under the Surface of the Water”.
12. Silicone
Sculptor Patricia Billings has set itself the task of creating a cement additive that protects its creation from destruction. After several years of experimentation in 1970 she finally achieved its goal, having invented an unbreakable plaster. Shortly thereafter, Billings found that the material was also surprisingly resistant to fire.