On October 3, 1950, U.S. Patent No. 2,524,035 issued to J. Bardeen and W.H. Brattain on a Three Electrode Circuit Element Utilizing Semiconductive Material –the transistor:

Their invention ushered in the electronics age starting with simple transistor radios but leading to the microchip and modern computer technology.

The transistor was the work of not just Bardeen and Brattain, but also Willam Shockley (who was left off of the patent for strategic reasons). The trio received the 1956 Nobel prize for physics for their work in transistors. Shockley described the workings of the team as a “mixture of cooperation and competition.” Shockley eventually alienated Bardeen and Brattain, blocking the two from further work on transistors. Bardeen began working on superconductivity for which he won a second Nobel prize. Brattain refused to work with Shockley further and was pursued other interests, before leaving for academia. Shockley continued to improve transistors, developing a more robust layered structure that evolved into the modern bipolar junction transistor.

On October 2, 1866, J. Osterhoudt received U.S. Patent No. 58544 on an Improved Method of Opening Tin Cans:

The first tin cans were so thick they had to be hammered open. As cans became thinner, specialized can openers were developed, such as the one disclosed in Ezra Warners’ U.S. Patent No. 19063, issued January 5, 1858:

Early can openers were complicated and difficult to use, leaving ample room for Osterhoudt’s simple key, which did require a specially constructed can.

On July 12, 1870, William Lyman received U.S. Patent No. 105346 on an improved Can Opener that used a rotating wheel to cut the can lid: :

T.A. Killman improved this design in 1925 by adding a crank operated knurled wheel to driving the cutting wheel around the top of the can, receiving U.S. Patent No. 1,558,372 on October 20, 1925:

A year later Charles A Bunker filed on the now familiar pliers-grip, top opening can opener, which was granted U.S. Patent No. 1,838,525 on December 31, 1931:

Oon October 1, 1991, U.S. Patent No. 5,052,418 issued to David Miller on a Solar Body Tattoo:

Miller’s method was to apply a template having a central opening to the subject’s skin. Sun block is then applied over the central opening, and the template is removed. Thereafter, the subject’s skin is exposed to tanning rays, and the sun block washed away revealing a skin tattoo.

Alas, Miller was not the first to use the sun for tattooing. See, for example. U.S. Patent No. 2,851,805, which issued September 16, 1958, on a Sun Tattoo Form:

It seems no matter what someone comes up with, there is always prior art to consider.