Explore discoveries, inventions and the people who expanded what was possible.
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Loading image…1931–
James Edward Maceo West (born February 10, 1931) is an American inventor and acoustician. He holds over 250 foreign and U.S. patents for the production and design of microphones and techniques for creating polymer foil electrets.
1915–2018
James Whittico Jr. (November 18, 1915 – August 21, 2018) was an American physician from St. Louis, Missouri.
1974–
Jami Valentine Miller (born December 3, 1974) is a patent examiner at the United States Patent and Trademark Office. She was the first African American woman to graduate with a PhD in physics from Johns Hopkins University. She created the website…
1954–
Jan Rudalgo Adams (born Rudalgo Alonzo Adams; April 21, 1954) is an American former cosmetic surgeon, author, and television presenter. Adams is most known for operating on Donda West, mother of Kanye West, a day before her death. He gave up his surgeon’s…
1852–1889
Matzeliger’s 1883 invention automated a key step in shoemaking, sharply cutting costs and reshaping the footwear industry.
Loading image…1919–2013
Jane Cooke Wright (November 30, 1919 – February 19, 2013), also known as Jane Jones, was a pioneering cancer researcher and surgeon noted for her contributions to chemotherapy. In particular, Wright is credited with developing the technique of using human…
1921–2004
Jane Evelyn Watson Mitchell (1921 - November 13, 2004) was an American nurse. Mitchell was the first African-American to work as a nurse in Delaware. Mitchell went on to work as the director of nursing at the Delaware State Psychiatric Hospital.
Loading image…Biography
Jane Eleanor "Nellie" Datcher (1868 – February 24, 1934) was an American botanist and the first African-American woman to earn an advanced degree from Cornell University in 1890. She worked as a teacher at Dunbar High School in Washington, D.C. and was a…
Loading image…1919–2003
Jane Hinton (May 1, 1919 – April 9, 2003) was a pioneer in the study of bacterial antibiotic resistance and one of the first two African-American women to gain the degree of Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (1949). Prior to her veterinary medicine studies at…
Loading image…Biography
Jane Minor (c. 1792 – 1858), also known as Gensey (or Jensey) Snow, was an African-American healer and slave emancipator, one of the few documented enslaved healing practitioners in United States history.
Loading image…Biography
Janeen Uzzell is an American global technology executive and CEO of the National Society of Black Engineers.
Loading image…1975–
Janelle Sojourner Bynum (née Irick; born January 31, 1975) is an American politician and businesswoman serving as the U.S. representative for Oregon's 5th congressional district since 2025. A member of the Democratic Party, she previously served in the…
1907–1993
Janet Harmon Waterford Bragg (born Jane Nettie Harmon) (March 24, 1907 — April 11, 1993) was an American amateur aviator. In 1942, she was the first African-American woman to hold an unlimited commercial pilot license. She is a 2022 inductee to the Georgia…
Loading image…1957–
Janet Rita Bashen (née Emerson; born February 12, 1957) is an American entrepreneur, business consultant, and software inventor. Bashen is best known for patenting a web-based EEO software application, LinkLine, now known as Nalikah, to assist with equal…
Loading image…1950–2019
Janet L. Mitchell (March 15, 1950 - September 1, 2019) was an American physician known for her advances in perinatal HIV/AIDS treatment. During the early days of the AIDS epidemic in the U.S. Mitchell developed protocols for health treatment of pregnant…
Loading image…1930–1990
Janez Yvonne Lawson Bordeaux (February 22, 1930 – November 24, 1990) was an American chemical engineer who became one of NASA's computers. She was the first African-American hired into a technical position at Jet Propulsion Laboratory. She programmed the…
Biography
Janice B. Walker is an American mathematician who taught and served as an administrator at Xavier University in Cincinnati and Assistant to the President and Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer there.
1943–
Janice Green Douglas (born 1943) is an American physician, the first woman professor at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. She is a fellow of the American Heart Association and known for her research on cellular control of blood pressure…
Loading image…1958–
Janie L. Mines (born 1958) is an American former naval officer who was the first African-American woman to graduate from the United States Naval Academy, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in 1980. After serving in a variety of roles in the U.S. Navy,…
1985–
Janina M. Jeff (juh-NEE-nuh; born September 10, 1985) is a US-based geneticist and a senior scientist at Illumina. She is specifically interested in identifying genetic variants that explain disease disparities across populations, as well as science…
Loading image…Biography
Janine Austin Clayton is an American ophthalmologist. She is the NIH associate director for research on women's health and director of the Office of Women's Health. Clayton was previously the deputy clinical director of the National Eye Institute.
1956–2021
Janis Marie Oldham (March 31, 1956 – July 14, 2021) was an American mathematician specializing in differential geometry and mathematics education and known for her efforts in mentoring mathematics students, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Loading image…1992–
Jarvis Allen Johnson (born May 5, 1992) is a YouTuber, podcaster, and a former software engineer. He is known for his comedic content and social commentary. As of 2026, his numerous YouTube channels have collectively earned over 4 million subscribers and…
Biography
Jasmine Brown is an American author and medical student. She is the author of the 2023 book, Twice as Hard: The Stories of Black Women Who Fought to Become Physicians, from the Civil War to the 21st Century.
Biographies, museum objects and archive records are distinct card types. Every card links to its historical source.
