Fertiliser and Soap

216 years and nearly 5 million patents later, it is inspiring to think back to where it all began... Patent No. 1 was awarded to Samuel Hopkins on 31 July 1790 for his advances "in the making of Pot ash and Pearl ash by a new Apparatus and Process". Pot ash was (and still is) used in many valuable industrial and agricultural chemicals.

I am sure Samuel Hopkins could not have foreseen the flood of patents that would follow his, inspiring millions around the globe to develop some of the simplest and some of the most complex inventions ever seen, changing our way of life forever. His actions set a worthy precedent for every subsequent inventor.

Patent No. 1 - The Best Patented Invention.

Submitted by: Michael Keating