Mary Anderson
1866 – 1953

Mary Anderson

inventor of the windshield wiper blade (1866–1953)

real estate developerrancherwinegrowerinventorentrepreneur
Born
1866-02-19, Greene County
Died
1953-06-27
Birthplace state
Alabama

Biography

Mary Elizabeth Anderson was an American inventor and entrepreneur credited with inventing the first operational windshield wiper. She was born in Greene County, Alabama, and later became known as a real-estate developer in Birmingham as well as the operator of a cattle ranch and vineyard in California. In her 1903 U.S. patent, Anderson described her design as a “window cleaning device for electric cars and other vehicles,” a hand-operated mechanism using a blade to clear snow, ice, or sleet from the windshield. The U.S. Patent Office awarded her Patent No. 743,801 on November 10, 1903 for this device. Anderson’s idea supposedly arose while she was riding a streetcar in New York City on a snowy day and saw the driver repeatedly open the window or stop the car to wipe the glass by hand in order to see. She responded by designing a lever-operated arm with a rubber blade that could be moved across the outside of the windshield from inside the vehicle, keeping the driver protected from the weather.

Occupation

Mary Anderson is recorded as a real estate developer, a rancher, a winegrower, a inventor and a entrepreneur, born in Alabama (1866–1953).

Connections to Alabama

Mary Anderson was born in Greene County, Alabama in 1866. Explore other notable figures from Alabama, historic sites connected to this era, and the full colonial and statehood history of the state using the links below.

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Geology
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LiDAR Terrain
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Conflict & War
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The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
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Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
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Literature
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Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
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More notable figures from Alabama

Other historical figures born in Alabama, ranked by historical prominence.

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Jesse Owens
Jesse Owens
American track and field athlete (1913–1980)
Nat King Cole
Nat King Cole
American singer and jazz pianist (1919–1965)
Edward O. Wilson
Edward O. Wilson
American biologist, naturalist, and writer (1929–2021)
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Louise Fletcher
American actress (1934–2022)

Frequently asked about Mary Anderson

Who was Mary Anderson?
Mary Anderson was inventor of the windshield wiper blade (1866–1953), born in Alabama (1866 – 1953).
When and where was Mary Anderson born?
Mary Anderson was born on 1866-02-19 in Greene County.
When did Mary Anderson die?
Mary died on 1953-06-27.
What was Mary Anderson known for?
Mary Anderson is recorded as a real estate developer, a rancher, a winegrower, a inventor and a entrepreneur.
Source

Biographical content adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Source: Wikipedia.

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