Throughout history, Latinos have been at the forefront of some of the greatest advances in the arts and sciences. Here are just ten revolutionary inventions created by Latinos, and why the world owes a debt of gratitude to these truly remarkable individuals.
- Photography
Brazilian polymath Hércules Florence is known for creating the earliest photograph. His pioneering work in photography would change the world as we know it.
- The Artificial Heart
In 1969, Dr. Domingo Liotta of Argentina invented an artificial heart that could successfully be used in operations on human patients. His invention saved countless lives and changed the course of 20th-century medicine.
- The Stent
Thanks to Argentinian physician Dr. Julio Palmaz, around ten million people have had stents placed during coronary operations. Many owe their lives to this pioneering doctor.
- The Birth-Control Pill
Many advances in family planning are due to the remarkable efforts of chemist Luis Miramontes of Mexico. Miramontes’s scientific efforts played a crucial role in the development of the birth-control pill.
- Neonatal Artificial Bubbles
Claudio Castillón Lévano of Peru saved the lives of countless children born prematurely after he invented the neonatal artificial bubble. The machine provides oxygen flow to children who would otherwise have difficulty breathing on their own.
- Magical Realist Literature
Over the course of the 20th century, Latino authors like Gabriel García Márquez and Jorge Luis Borges revolutionized literature by creating and developing the magical realist genre of fiction and poetry. The genre influenced many other writers like Salman Rushdie and Haruki Murakami.
- Color Television
Invented by Guillermo Gonzalez Camarena of Mexico, the color television changed the way that billions of people interact with one another and with the world at large. It remains one of the greatest mass-communication devices ever made.
- The X-Ray Microscope
The work of Mexican-American scientist Albert Baez was crucial to the development of the X-ray microscope.
- X-Rays of the Circulatory System
Spanish surgeon Jesus Maria Sanchez-Pérez invented this remarkable type of medical imaging procedure.
- The Ballpoint Pen
Argentine inventor Jozsef Biró Laszlo invented this tool that revolutionized writing in the 20th century.