<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3EGIDh_0wFNb1dG00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3EGIDh_0wFNb1dG00" width="980" height="653" ><figcaption>Steve Shannon</figcaption></figure><p>Illinois is more than just cornfields—it's a breeding ground for some of the world's most unexpected inventions. Get ready to be surprised by these 10 Illinois-born creations that might just make you rethink everything you thought you knew about the Prairie State.</p><p><b>10 Things Invented in Illinois That Will Make You Question Reality</b></p><p>Illinois, the Land of Lincoln, is known for deep-dish pizza, unpredictable weather, and corrupt politicians. But what if I told you that Illinois is also the birthplace of some pretty surprising inventions?</p><p>Grab your Chicago-style hot dog (sans ketchup, of course), and let's dive into <b>10</b> <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=things+that+were+invented+in+illinois&amp;rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS844US845&amp;oq=things+that+were+invented+in+illinois&amp;gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyCQgAEEUYORiABDIICAEQABgWGB4yDQgCEAAYhgMYgAQYigUyDQgDEAAYhgMYgAQYigUyDQgEEAAYhgMYgAQYigUyDQgFEAAYhgMYgAQYigUyCggGEAAYgAQYogQyCggHEAAYgAQYogQyCggIEAAYgAQYogTSAQk2MzQ1ajBqMTWoAgiwAgE&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8">things you probably didn't know were invented in Illinois</a>.</p><p>Spoiler alert: this list will make you wonder what else is hiding in the Prairie State.</p><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3kbIQY_0wFNb1dG00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3kbIQY_0wFNb1dG00" width="1600" height="1067" ><figcaption>Canva</figcaption></figure><h2>The Zipper</h2><p>Yes, that little contraption you curse at when it gets stuck was born in Chicago. In 1893, Whitcomb L. Judson debuted the "Clasp Locker," which evolved into the modern zipper. It’s funny how something designed to keep your pants up can be so utterly unreliable at the worst possible times.</p><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3yh2vq_0wFNb1dG00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3yh2vq_0wFNb1dG00" width="1600" height="1067" ><figcaption>Canva</figcaption></figure><h2>The Ferris Wheel</h2><p>Thank Illinois the next time you’re stuck at the top of a Ferris wheel, wondering how you ended up in this terrifying metal basket.</p><p>The very first Ferris wheel was created for the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago by George Washington Gale Ferris Jr. – an invention meant to outshine the Eiffel Tower. Nothing says competition like a giant rotating death trap.</p><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1Fe06z_0wFNb1dG00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1Fe06z_0wFNb1dG00" width="1600" height="1067" ><figcaption>Canva</figcaption></figure><h2><b>Spray</b> <b>Paint</b></h2><p>The city of Chicago blessed the world with spray paint in 1949. Thanks to Edward H. Seymour, you can now express your innermost thoughts on any public surface with the press of a nozzle. Graffiti artists and vandals alike owe a huge debt of gratitude to the Windy City.</p><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3nJYQH_0wFNb1dG00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3nJYQH_0wFNb1dG00" width="1600" height="1067" ><figcaption>Canva</figcaption></figure><h2>The Dishwasher</h2><p>In 1886, Josephine Cochrane, a socialite from Shelbyville, got tired of her servants breaking her china and invented the first dishwasher. It was a mechanical marvel that saved dishes—and marriages too (probably).</p><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0Eerkf_0wFNb1dG00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0Eerkf_0wFNb1dG00" width="1600" height="1067" ><figcaption>Canva</figcaption></figure><h2>The Cell Phone</h2><p>Martin Cooper, a Chicagoan, made the first-ever mobile phone call in 1973. He might not have predicted that his invention would lead to endless group texts, robocalls, and the horror of dropping your phone screen-first onto the pavement.</p><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=03ATuv_0wFNb1dG00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=03ATuv_0wFNb1dG00" width="1600" height="1067" ><figcaption>Canva, JerseyGroovyFilms via YouTube</figcaption></figure><h2>The Mechanical Rabbit (for Greyhound Races)</h2><p>Someone in Illinois decided that it wasn’t enough for greyhounds to race; they needed to chase something fake, too. The mechanical rabbit was invented in 1912 by Owen Patrick Smith in Emeryville, Illinois. A revolutionary idea that makes dogs—and their owners—run in circles.</p><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0vjh5b_0wFNb1dG00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0vjh5b_0wFNb1dG00" width="1600" height="1067" ><figcaption>Canva</figcaption></figure><h2>The Twinkie</h2><p>Yes, the indestructible snack that can survive nuclear fallout was invented in River Forest, Illinois, in 1930. James Dewar, a baker for the Continental Baking Company, created the Twinkie as a way to use idle machines during the off-season.</p><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3NwLhf_0wFNb1dG00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3NwLhf_0wFNb1dG00" width="1600" height="1067" ><figcaption>Canva</figcaption></figure><h2>Barbed Wire</h2><p>Good ol' DeKalb, Illinois, gave us barbed wire in 1874, courtesy of Joseph Glidden. While it might seem like a simple fence, barbed wire changed the face of the American West. It’s also proof that sometimes the best inventions are the ones that poke holes in things.</p><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=4TYP0c_0wFNb1dG00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4TYP0c_0wFNb1dG00" width="1600" height="1067" ><figcaption>Canva</figcaption></figure><h2>The First Ever Blood Bank</h2><p>In 1937, Dr. Bernard Fantus at Cook County Hospital in Chicago established the world’s first blood bank. It’s incredible to think that before this, hospitals were just winging it when it came to transfusions. Thanks to Illinois, you can now give and take blood without the stress of finding a last-minute donor.</p><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=22ykJP_0wFNb1dG00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=22ykJP_0wFNb1dG00" width="1600" height="1067" ><figcaption>Canva</figcaption></figure><h2>The Upright Vacuum Cleaner</h2><p>Chicago’s own Ives McGaffey invented the first vacuum cleaner in 1868. Although it was more of a manual contraption, it paved the way for the devices we now reluctantly push around our homes. So, when you’re begrudgingly vacuuming up crumbs, remember that Illinois is partly to blame.</p><p>So, there you have it—10 Illinois-born inventions that you never knew you needed. Whether it’s zipping up your jeans, getting stuck on a Ferris wheel, or enjoying a Twinkie, Illinois has contributed to your life in ways you never imagined.</p><p>The next time someone says Illinois is just about corn and politicians, you can smile knowingly, because now you know better.</p></div></body>

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10 Things Invented in Illinois That Will Make You Question Reality

Illinois is more than just cornfields—it's a breeding ground for some of the world's most unexpected inventions. Get ready to be surprised by these 10 Illinois-born creations that might just make you rethink everything you thought you knew about the Prairie State. 10 Things Invented in Illinois That Will...