Mary Anderson (inventor)

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Mary Anderson (inventor) - inventor of the windshield wiper blade (1866–1953)

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03.04.25

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Geographic Timeline

Early Life and Family Timeline

Timeline of Social and Cultural Context: Women Inventors

Entrepreneurial Ventures and Real Estate Development Timeline

Windshield Wiper Invention and Patent Timeline

Technological and Industrial Context Timeline

Later Life and Legacy Timeline

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Birth in Greene County, Alabama

February 19, 1866

Mary Elizabeth Anderson was born in Greene County, Alabama, shortly after the end of the Civil War. Her early life would have been shaped by the economic and social upheaval of the Reconstruction era in the American South, laying the groundwork for her resourcefulness and independence.

Move to Birmingham, Alabama

1889

Anderson moved to the burgeoning city of Birmingham, Alabama, with her widowed mother and sister. Birmingham was experiencing rapid industrial growth, and Anderson's entrepreneurial spirit likely thrived in this environment. She took various ventures here.

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Brief

Known For

Inventor of the windshield wiper.

Daily Chronicle

27 June, 1953

Mary Elizabeth Anderson died on June 27, 1953, at her summer home in Monteagle, Tennessee, at the age of 87. Her death marked the end of the life of a pioneering inventor who, despite not achieving financial success during her lifetime, made a significant contribution to automotive safety and convenience.

10 November, 1903

On November 10, 1903, Mary Anderson was granted U.S. Patent No. 743,801 for her window cleaning device, which would later be known as the windshield wiper. This patent was a significant milestone in her journey as an inventor, providing her with legal protection for her innovative design.

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Mary Anderson (inventor)

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03.04.25

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