The intermodal container as used on container ships 1955. Invented by North Carolina trucker Malcolm McLean. 
This became indispensable for global capitalism.
Scratching invented by Grand Wizard Theodore in 1977. Famous story is his mom burst into his bedroom in the Bronx asking him to turn down the music and he stopped the record with his hand and discovered scratching.
The post-it. 1974. Art Fry came up with idea of using a reusable weak adhesive developed by a colleague at 3M to anchor a bookmark in his hymn book. Thus was born the post-it.
Jail-breaking the iPhone. In 2007 a hacker George Hotz unlocked the iPhone which eventually generated the whole apps industry.
The disposable diaper. 1947, UK Housewife Valerie Hunter Gordon developed and made the first Paddi – a two-piece disposable diaper.
Stereo headphones. 1958. Invented by Milwaukee-based jazz musician John C Koss.
Guitar feedback. 1967. Although other guitarists probably discovered it before him, Jimi Hendrix made it famous.
The bicycle tire. 1887. Made by John Dunlop for his son’s bike.
The round kettle grill. 1952. Better known as Weber barbecue. George Stephen Weber, father of twelve, sawed a marine buoy in half and thus invented the famous backyard grill.
LEO 1 (Lyons Electronic Office 1) 1951. J Lyons a famous catering company in the UK (think Lyons Tea House) wanted to apply computing to business so invented the first computer used for commercial business applications. So in this case the user is a company.
Trevor Pinch teaches Sciences and Technology in Society at the Cornell University and President of the Society for Social Studies of Science (4S).
