12 Popular Things Invented By The Last Person You'd Expect
![12 Popular Things Invented By The Last Person You'd Expect](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/1/1/895111_320x180.jpg)
Ah, the wonders of modern invention. From the lava lamp to... er... the Fleshlight, from the bulletproof vest to the electric chair, from the snow globe to the swivel chair, it's amazing to think of all the incredible things that have been created throughout history... sometimes, by the absolute last people we would ever expect to create anything like that.
But few people know the stories behind some of these inventions. From the revolutionary thinker and, uh, swivel-chair inventor Thomas Jefferson to the widowed entrepreneur Josephine Garis Cochran, from the surrealist Hans Bellmer to the pizza delivery guy Richard Davis, these are the people who have changed the world with their inventions... even though they apparently had no business doing that, their work being in a totally different field. This list is a tribute to their creativity, their ingenuity, and their courage. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the stories of these amazing inventors.
Dentist invents electric chair.
![The electric chair was invented by A DENTIST Alfred Southwick came up with the idea for the electric chair, which was based on the chair he used in his dental practice. Anyway, enjoy your next dental appointment! CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/3/7/1/894371.jpg)
Pizza delivery saves the day.
![Bulletproof vests were invented by a PIZZA DELIVERY GUY Richard Davis came up with the idea for the bulletproof vest we know today after he was shot (twice) while delivering a pizza to a sketchy neighborhood in Detroit back in 1969. Well, necessity is the mother of invention. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/3/7/6/894376.jpg)
Revolutionary thinker, swivel chair inventor.
![The swivel chair was invented by THOMAS JEFFERSON Jefferson came up with the idea for the swivel chair back when he was writing the Declaration of Independence. Apparently, much of it was written while, in fact, sitting on a swivel chair. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/3/7/2/894372.jpg)
Accountant creates lava lamps, nudist films.
![The lava lamp was invented by an ACCOUNTANT Edward Craven Walker, a British accountant, created the lava lamp. Не was also known for making nudist films that were set underwater, as you do. Truly a Renaissance man. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/3/7/5/894375.jpg)
Saving his marriage, one Fleshlight at a time.
![The Fleshlight was invented by A FORMER COP Former cop Steve Shubin came up with the idea for the Fleshlight in 1998. Не wanted to save his marriage while his wife was pregnant, so he used food-grade mineral oil and thermoplastic elastomers to make a device that felt like real skin. DE CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/3/7/3/894373.jpg)
Colonel invents snooker in India.
![Snooker was invented by a BRITISH ARMY OFFICER Colonel Neville Chamberlain is thought to have created the game of snooker in 1875 while stationed in India. Back then, they'd insultingly call a first-year cadet at the Royal Military Academy of Woolwich a snooker. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/3/6/8/894368.jpg)
Bright idea, Erwin.
![Snow globes were invented by a SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS MECHANIC In 1900, Erwin Perzy I was trying to make the new electric light bulb brighter, and was inspired by shoemakers of the time, who used a glass globe filled with water in front of a candle to get more light. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/3/6/9/894369.jpg)
Joel Silver: Action movie producer, Ultimate Frisbee creator.
![Ultimate Frisbee was invented by A MOVIE PRODUCER Joel Silver, the producer of some of the most popular action movies, including The Matrix and Lethal Weapon, is credited with creating Ultimate Frisbee back in the late 1960s, when he was attending summer school in Massachusetts. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/3/7/4/894374.jpg)
Surrealist sex dolls: no fun allowed.
![Sex dolls were invented by a SURREALIST ARTIST In the 1930s, Hans Bellmer came up with the idea of modern sex dolls - although they didn't have any openings for sexual activity. That particular (very vital) innovation came a little later. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/3/6/7/894367.jpg)
Widowed Entrepreneur Revolutionizes Dishwashing
![The dishwasher was invented by a WIDOWED SOCIALITE Josephine Garis Cochran was a socialite from Ohio who had the idea to invent a machine that would make washing dishes easier so her servants wouldn't chip her china. She was successful, and in 1886, was granted a U.S. patent for her invention. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/3/7/0/894370.jpg)
Speed Dating: A Quick Way To Meet
![Speed dating was invented by A RABBI Rabbi Yaacov Deyo from Los Angeles came up with a way for singles to quickly meet. It all began as a way to help Jewish singles connect, but it has since grown beyond just the Jewish community. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/3/6/6/894366.jpg)
Choose your own success story.
![Choose Your Own Adventure books were invented by A LAWYER Edward Packard came up with the idea of a Choose Your Own Adventure book while he was telling bedtime stories to his two daughters, and they each wanted the main character to do different things. CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE® 2 THE CLASSIC SERIES IS BACK! JOURNEY CHOOSE FROM 42 POSSIBLE ENDINGS. CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENT UNDER THE SEA BY R. A. MONTGOMERY CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/3/6/5/894365.jpg)