Famous Black Inventors & Discoverers

Vote for Your Favourite Inventors & Discoverers

Right IconThis ranking is based on an algorithm that combines various factors, including the votes of our users and search trends on the internet.

 1 
William Kamkwamba
(Inventor)
William Kamkwamba
18
Birthdate: August 5, 1987
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Dowa, Malawi
 2 
Granville Woods
(Inventor)
Granville Woods
4
Birthdate: April 23, 1856
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Columbus, Ohio, United States
Died: January 30, 1910

Granville Woods was 10 when he began working at a machine shop, while continuing his studies at a night school. He grew up to become a steam locomotive engineer and earned the nickname the Black Edison for his countless inventions, most of which were related to electrical systems for railways.

 3 
Patricia Bath
(Former Inventor known for Invention of Laserphaco Probe)
Patricia Bath
4
Birthdate: November 4, 1942
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: New York City, New York, United States
Died: April 30, 2019

Ophthalmologist Patricia Bath is remembered for her pathbreaking invention of the Laserphaco Probe, which made laser cataract surgery possible. The first Black female surgeon at the UCLA Medical Center and the first female faculty staff of the UCLA Jules Stein Eye Institute, she dedicated her life to curing blindness.

 4 
Sarah E. Goode
(Inventor)
Sarah E. Goode
3
Birthdate: 1855 AD
Birthplace: Toledo, Ohio, United States
Died: April 8, 1905
 5 
Moses Fleetwood Walker
(Baseball player)
Moses Fleetwood Walker
1
Birthdate: September 7, 1856
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Mount Pleasant, Ohio, United States
Died: May 11, 1924
 6 
Otis Boykin
(American inventor)
Otis Boykin
3
Birthdate: August 29, 1920
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Dallas, Texas, United States
Died: March 13, 1982
 7 
Lyda D. Newman
(Inventor and involved activist for women's suffrage)
Lyda D. Newman
2
Birthdate: 1885 AD
Birthplace: Ohio, United States
 8 
Ayodele Awojobi
(Academic)
Ayodele Awojobi
2
Birthdate: March 12, 1937
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Oshodi-Isolo
Died: September 23, 1984

Ayodele Awojobi was a Nigerian academic, inventor, author, activist, and social crusader. Regarded as a scholarly genius by his peers and teachers alike, Awojobi became the first African to earn a degree of Doctor of Science at the Imperial College London. His research papers in the field of vibration are often referred to and studied by researchers around the world.

 9 
Momolu Duwalu Bukele
(Inventor)
Momolu Duwalu Bukele
0
Birthdate: September 30, 1788
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Liberia
Died: October 1, 1888