Inventions you didn’t know were Brazilian

Brazilians are known worldwide for their creative minds, but that is typically restricted to the fields of art and culture. Well, think again. Many ingenious inventions were created – or at least conceptualized—by Brazilian minds. Unfortunately, most of the following inventors haven’t received the praise they deserved. We’ve selected seven inventions—ones that have most certainly had some impact on your life—that were developed by Brazilians. 

On behalf of their inventors, you’re welcome! 

Airplane

The first entry on our list will probably make our American readers cringe. The Brazilian aviator, Alberto Santos Dumont, is credited as the true father of air travel. In 1906, he flew his 14-bis aircraft on the outskirts of Paris and is considered to be the first man to have taken flight. That is, except in the U.S., where the title belongs instead to the Wright Brothers.

The international aviation experts on Team Santos Dumont, however, argue that the Wright Brothers’ invention used a launching rail to propel their aircraft, making it more of an elaborate glider. The 14-bis, meanwhile, flew 200 feet all on its own.

During the opening ceremony of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, the old dispute was...