On May 4, 1852, U.S. Patent No. 341,214 issued to C. Bell and Charles Sumner Tainter on Recording and Reproducing Speech and Other Sounds (the disc-shaped record).

On May 3, 1966, U.S. Patent No. 3,249,473 issued to Nick Holonyak, Jr., on the Use of Metallic Halide as a carrier Ga in the Vapor Deposition of III-V Compounds (making LED’s in the visible light spectrum).

On May 2, 2006, U.S. Patent No. 7,036,154 issued to Lynn A. McVay on a Game Bird Decoy Apparatus.

On May 1, 1849, U.S. Patent No. 6420 issued to Samuel F. B. Morse on Improvements in Electric Telegraphs.

On April 30, 1912, U.S. Patent No. 1,025,075 issued to Frank J. Schumann on a Vending-Machine, adapted for postage stamps or tickets — and yet we still wait on long lines to buy both.

On April 27, 1976, U.S. Patent No. 3,953,566 issued to Robert W. Gore on a Process for Producing Porous Products – Goretex.

On April 26, 1966, U.S. Patent No. 3,248,705 issued to James E Dammann and Edward J. Skiko, on an Automatic Editor — one of the first word processing systems.

On April 25, 1950, Erwin J. Schweitzer and Carmine Jordan received U.S. Patent No. 2,505,652 on the Tail Wheel Actuated Arresting Hook — that automatically deployed the tail hook with the landing gear to facilitate landing on an aircraft carrier.

On April 23, 1907, U.S. Patent No. 850978 issued to Ignatius Soares on a Nose Shaper.  Fortunately for plastic surgeons everywhere, Ignatius’ invention never caught on, because the user sure looks delighted.

On April 22, 1879, U.S. Patent No. 214,663 issued to William L Hunt on Improvement in Theater Appliances — the appliance in question being a human cannon.