Harold Edgerton
Harold Edgerton invents the xenon flash lamp for strobe photography. Born in 1903 in Nebraska, Harold Eugene Edgerton, also known as “Doc” was largely credited with transforming the stroboscope from an obscure laboratory instrument into a common device. He used multiple studio electronic flash units, which could flash up to 120 times a second to produce photos of fast moving objects, such as a bullet’s impact with an apple. During the 50s & 60s he photographed nuclear tests for the United States. He was also instrumental with creating custom designed underwater photographic equipment featuring electronic flash used to scan the sea floor for wrecks.
Dennis Gabor
Dennis Gabor invents holography. Dennis Gabor was a Hungarian electrical engineer and physicist, most notable for inventing holography in 1947. He researched electron inputs and outputs, looking for the perfect optical imagining, where amplitude and phase needed to be used as a whole, which led him to the invention of re-holography. Throughout his lifetime, he received numerous awards, including the Nobel Prize.
Edwin Herbert Land
Edwin Herbert Land was an American scientist and inventor, born in 1909 and is best known as the co-founder of the Polaroid Corporation. His Polaroid instant camera made it possible for a picture to be taken and developed in 60 seconds or less. He also developed polarized film. He was a visionary and would work endless hours on a project until it was complete. It was documented that while working on polarizing film, he went 18 days in the same clothes and food was brought to him, where he needed to be reminded to eat. He was sure to perform an experiment a day. Land died at the age of 81.