New List Of Each U.S. State's Best Invention Exposes History That Deserves More Credit

Throughout the centuries, Americans from all walks of life have been changing the world for the better. They have, in essence, been the living embodiments of the American Dream. Just take one look at these incredible inventions and innovations to come out of each of our united states. They'll certainly make you proud to be from your state — and maybe even inspire you to hit the books!

1. Alabama — Saturn rockets

Alabama played a crucial role in getting Americans into space. The Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville has been at the forefront of NASA's innovations for over 60 years — and continues to do groundbreaking work. Visitors to Alabama had been reminded of this via the towering 168-foot Saturn 1B rocket that stood near the state line in Tennessee. The rocket was a product of the Space Flight Center and a predecessor of the Apollo program.

2. Alaska — kayak

Alaskan tribes such as the Inuit, Aleut, and Yup’ik tribes are known to have used kayaks centuries ago. The primitive boats — usually made from wooden frames and animal skins — would have been used for hunting and fishing around the Arctic. But they were agile enough to be a means of transportation or for hauling stuff around. It's striking, too, just how closely today's kayaks resemble the crafts of old.

3. Arizona — Taser

Axon claims that its Tasers have so far saved over 279,000 lives because police officers chose them over lethal weapons. And Scottsdale, Arizona, played a vital role in the development of second-generation Tasers. One of the men responsible for engineering the less-lethal weapon was inspired by a tragic incident in the city, and the Axon headquarters are stationed there. Fun Fact? TASER was initially an acronym for Tom A. Swift’s Electric Rifle.

4. Arkansas — Klipsch speakers

After Paul Klipsch decided he wanted to recreate the sound of live music in his own home, he built a legendary device that changed loudspeakers forever. In 1946 he built the very first Klipschorn from a small tin shed on his property in Hope, Arkansas. The cone shape of his speaker proved to be a massive improvement over the horn-shaped speakers used at the time. These speakers are still in production today — as are dozens of other speakers bearing the Klipsch name.