Today, List of Czech inventions and discoveries is a topic that has become increasingly relevant in society. With the advancement of technology and globalization, List of Czech inventions and discoveries has become a key point of debate and reflection for many. In this article, we will explore different aspects related to List of Czech inventions and discoveries, from its impact on daily life to its influence in the professional field, including its historical relevance. Through this analysis, we hope to shed light on List of Czech inventions and discoveries and provide a broad and detailed overview of this topic that continues to capture the attention of millions of people around the world.
The following is a list and timeline of innovations as well as inventions and discoveries that involved Czech people or the Czech Republic including predecessor states in the history of the formation of the Czech Republic. This list covers innovation and invention in the mechanical, electronic, and industrial fields, as well as medicine, military devices and theory, artistic and scientific discovery and innovation, and ideas in religion and ethics.
15th century
Defenestration is an act of throwing someone from a window. First time it was named so, happened in Prague's New Town Hall, 1419 to several town officials.
War wagon, a heavy wagon developed by the Hussites in 1420 with fortified wooden sides and fire slits for early gun artillery, gunners and crossbowmen as crew. It could form steady mobile walls, which foiled several crusades.
18th century
Denis d'or reportedly the first musical instrument in history that involved electricity was invented by Prokop Diviš in 1748.
Prokop Diviš invented a "metereological machine" erected in Přímětice (now part of Znojmo) in June 1754. It is sometimes counted as an invention of lightning rod.
Josef Ressel invented one of the first working ship's propellers. He worked in Landstrass (Kostanjevica on the Krka river in Carniola), where he tested his ship propellers for the first time. In 1821 he was transferred to Trieste, the biggest port of the Austrian Empire, where his tests were successful. He was awarded a propeller patent in 1827.
Ruchadlo a modern turn-plough was invented in 1827 by Veverka cousins, which not only broke-up soil, but also turned and crumbled it. It was first plough on wheels, which made it easier to manage.
Purkinje fibers is an organ in human heart discovered by Jan Evangelista Purkyně in 1839.
František Křižík invented in 1878 a remotely operated signaling device to protect against collision between trains.
František Křižík invented in 1880 the automatic electric arc lamp, the so-called "Plzen Lamp" which was displayed at the International Exposition of Electricity in Paris in 1881
František Křižík built one of first electromobiles in Austria-Hungary in 1895.
20th century
The first electrified railway in Austria-Hungary was built by František Křižík from Tábor to Bechyně in 1903.
Fanta bowl is a specialised pharmaceutical mortar and pestle made from Melamine resin in order to avoid contamination of medicines. It was invented by Max Fanta in 1904
Silon textile material (synthetic fiber) was invented by Otto Wichterle during 1940s.
Water jet loom is a shuttleless loom, which allowed much faster operation. It was invented and patented by Vladimír Svatý in 1950. First machine was made in Zlín, mass produced in Semily since 1955.
Soft contact lenses – Drahoslav Lim and Otto Wichterle invented Polyhydroxyethylmethacrylate (pHEMA) for biological use. Wichterle thought pHEMA might be a suitable material for a contact lens and gained his first patent for soft contact lenses. By late 1961, he succeeded in producing the first four pHEMA hydrogel contact lenses on a home-made apparatus.
Remoska is a small portable electric oven with the cooking element housed in the lid of a pot that consists of a Teflon-lined pan and a stand in addition to the lid mounted heating element. It was developed by the Czech electrical engineer Oldřich Homuta in the 1950s.
Czechoslovak pharmacologist Frank Berger invented Meprobamate, the first tranquilliser and Felbamate, an anticonvulsant used in the treatment of epilepsy.
Semtex, a general purpose plastic explosive, was invented in the late 1950s by Stanislav Brebera and Radim Fukátko, chemists at VCHZ Synthesia.
Kurt Lehovec invented p–n junction isolation a method used to electrically isolate electronic components, such as transistors, on an integrated circuit (IC) by surrounding the components with reverse biased p–n junctions.
Shock-absorbent barrel used for stunts was developed by Karel Soucek.
Tenofovir disoproxil was synthesized by Antonín Holý at the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences in Prague. The patent filed in 1986 makes no mention of the potential use of the compound for the treatment of HIV infection but claims activity against herpes simplex virus.
21st century
W0 constant was invented by Czech scientist Viliam Vatrt in 2011.