Who is the only US president to hold a patent?
Asked by: Nicolette Ankunding | Last update: May 17, 2026Score: 4.3/5 (53 votes)
Abraham Lincoln is the only U.S. President to have received a patent, granted in 1849 for a device to lift boats over shoals using adjustable air chambers (Patent No. 6,469). Inspired by his experiences as a ferryman, Lincoln's invention, though never commercially produced, showcased his knack for engineering and problem-solving, with a model displayed at the Smithsonian.
Who is the only U.S. president with a patent?
(Gilder Lehrman Collection) On March 10, 1849, Abraham Lincoln filed a patent for a device for "buoying vessels over shoals" with the US Patent Office. Patent No. 6,469 was approved two months later, giving Abraham Lincoln the honor of being the only US president to hold a patent.
Who is the only U.S. president to own a patent and a saloon?
On May 22, 1849, Abraham Lincoln received Patent No. 6469 for a device to lift boats over shoals, an invention which was never manufactured. However, it eventually made him the only U.S. president to hold a patent.
Who is the only president to hold a patent crossword?
Though his invention was never manufactured, it serves to give Lincoln yet another honor: he remains the only U.S. president to have a patent in his name.
Who holds the first U.S. patent?
The first U.S. patent was granted to Samuel Hopkins for a process of making potash, an ingredient used in fertilizer on July 31. President George Washington signed the first patent.
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Who is the father of patents?
The first English patent for invention was granted in 1449 to John of Utynam, a Flemish-born stained glass manufacturer, by King Henry VI. John of Utynam was granted a 20 years monopoly for a glass-making process that was unknown of in England at that time.
Did Michael Jackson have a patent?
Michael Jackson – Anti-Gravity Illusion Shoes
Jackson patented the anti-gravity illusion shoes in 1993, receiving U.S. Patent No. 5,255,452. These specialized shoes included a hidden slot in the heels that locked onto pegs embedded in the stage floor.
Which U.S. president signed the first patent?
Hopkins received the first U.S. patent, signed by President George Washington himself, for his method of manufacturing potash and pearl ash, forms of potassium carbonate, which were commonly used in the production of soap or fertilizer.
Is Abraham Lincoln the only president with a patent?
Did you know Abraham Lincoln is the only U.S. president to have received a patent? He was granted Patent No. 6,469 on May 22, 1849, for the invention called “Buoying Vessels Over Shoals” which was designed to help boats navigate shallow waters by inflating bellows attached to the hull.
Who is the only U.S. president to have a PhD?
The only U.S. President with a Ph.D. is Woodrow Wilson, who earned his doctorate in History and Government from Johns Hopkins University in 1886, making him the sole president to hold such a degree.
Who was the first woman to receive a U.S. patent?
Mary Dixon Kies was the first woman to apply for and receive a U.S. patent in her own name. Her patent, issued May 5, 1809, was for an innovative process of weaving straw with silk. This technique was quickly adopted by the New England hat-making industry, and it was widely used for a decade.
Which U.S. president was also an inventor?
Abraham Lincoln is the only U.S. president to receive a patent for an invention, so today we celebrate and remember him along with all the other inventors out there. Lincoln was said to have had a long fascination with how things worked. In 1848, he set out to address the issue of riverboats getting stuck on sandbars.
Who holds the most patents in the United States?
While Thomas Edison holds the historical record for an individual American inventor (over 1,000 patents), today's landscape sees companies like Samsung and IBM leading, with Samsung often topping overall grants and IBM holding records for annual U.S. patents for decades, though recent data shows others like Apple and LG close behind in company rankings. For individuals, researchers like Lowell Wood and Roderick Hyde have amassed thousands of patents, with Wood having over 5,000.
What president had the most patents?
A staunch upholder of the patent system, the mechanically-inclined Abraham Lincoln in fact was the only U.S. president ever to hold a patent.
Who is the only single U.S. president?
Tall, stately, stiffly formal in the high stock he wore around his jowls, James Buchanan was the only President who never married. Presiding over a rapidly dividing Nation, Buchanan grasped inadequately the political realities of the time.
What patent does Elon Musk have?
Elon Musk holds patents related to early internet services (business directories, online maps) and numerous patents for Tesla vehicles, including autonomous driving systems, charging ports, and robotic assembly, plus pending applications for Neuralink's brain-computer interface technology, though he famously advocates open-sourcing much of Tesla's core tech while his companies file patents for specific innovations like SpaceX Starlink antennas and The Boring Company's tunnels.
Who holds over 1,000 patents?
Thomas Alva Edison was one of the most prolific and influential inventors in history. Born on February 11, 1847, in Milan, Ohio, Edison held over 1,000 patents for his inventions, which ranged from electric light and power systems to motion picture cameras and phonographs.
Who is the only U.S. president to receive a patent?
Abraham Lincoln is the only U.S. president to have received a patent, which was for a device to help boats navigate shallow waters by using inflatable air chambers to increase buoyancy (Patent No. 6,469, issued May 22, 1849). The invention, called "Buoying Vessels Over Shoals," stemmed from Lincoln's own experiences as a ferryman when boats would get stuck.
What did Abraham Lincoln invent?
His invention, "adjustable buoyant air chambers," would be attached to the sides of a boat. They could be lowered into the water and inflated to lift the boat over obstructions in the water. Lincoln whittled the scale patent model while Walter Davis, a Springfield mechanic, provided tools and advice.
What is the most ridiculous patent granted?
There's no single "most ridiculous" patent, as absurdity is subjective, but popular contenders include the "Bells on Rats" (luring rats to wear bells to alert you), a centrifugal force birthing apparatus, a fire escape suit with wings, and the "Banana Protective Device" (a hard plastic case for a single banana). Other contenders involve impractical ideas like self-kicking exercise machines, a skull-shaped device for ghostly confessions, and even a laser pointer for exercising cats, demonstrating a wide range of peculiar and impractical inventions throughout history.
Does Michael Jackson have a patent?
In 1993, Jackson, along with his collaborators Michael Bush and Dennis Tompkins, filed a U.S. patent (US5255452A) for a special shoe system that made it possible to perform an otherwise impossible move: leaning forward at a sharp angle without losing balance, as if gravity had suddenly stopped working.
How many presidents have a patent?
While many presidents have supported the U.S. patent system and recognized the contributions of our nation's most influential inventors, only one president has earned a patent himself — President Abraham Lincoln.
Who has 4.8 billion fans?
Michael Jackson is widely cited as having around 4.8 billion fans, a number often reported by media outlets and fan communities, making him arguably the most popular person ever, with his fanbase spanning all ages and cultures globally, despite the lack of social media during his peak.
Who owns Michael Jackson's money now?
Since his passing, there have been ongoing questions about who actually owns Michael Jackson's estate. According to his will, control of his estate was left to a trust overseen by executors John Branca and John McClain. This structure has allowed the estate to continue generating revenue for Jackson's beneficiaries.
Who created the moonwalk?
Rolling Stone notes that James Brown had been moonwalking years before the Motown tribute, but the origins of the dance actually date further back than Brown. (Some credit a tap dancer named Bill Bailey with coining the move.)