Women sure do fill many important roles in our society, but we don’t talk about one of the roles nearly enough.

You see, we like to act like the only people who have contributed the most groundbreaking inventions of our time are men, like Thomas Edison or Steve Jobs, when, in reality, ladies have been working behind the scenes for ages to create gadgets that make our lives easier.

In today’s video, you will learn that many items we use on a daily basis were actually developed by women. Here are a few of the most surprising ones…

1. Call Waiting and Caller ID

   MIT-educated Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson is a theoretical physicist who, back when she was working for Bell in the 1970s, used her skills to invent emerging technologies which lead to the creation of both call waiting and caller ID. Looks like we all have Dr. Jackson to thank for giving us the ability to screen our phone calls!

2. COBOL

   Unless you’re a self-professed “computer geek” you’ve likely never heard of COBOL, a widely-used system of computer code compilation, but every time you power on your laptop or phone, you are taking part in a technology that relies on it. Grace Hopper lead the effort to develop this system during World War II when she joined the Navy, before being hired to program Harvard’s groundbreaking Mark I computer.

3. Kevlar

   When chemist Stephanie L. Kwolek began working at the DuPont lab in the 1960s on a mission to create ultra-durable, synthetic fibers, little did she know that her strongest one, Kevlar, would end up saving countless lives. The material, which currently has over 200 applications, including bulletproof vests, earned her wide recognition in the scientific community and has completely changed the way we all think about safety.

4. Wi-Fi

   Believe it or not, the blueprints for this ultra-modern tool were actually invented by none other than silver screen goddess Hedy LaMarr. That’s right, the actress who starred in Oscar-nominated films such as Algiers and Samson and Delilah was also one of the most forward-thinking inventors of her time.

   LaMarr, along with her partner in science, George Anthiel, developed a wartime technology that allowed for radio waves to “hop” from one frequency to another, an invention that is widely-viewed as the predecessor to modern Wi-Fi and Bluetooth technologies. Sadly, LaMarr’s career as an inventor didn’t garner her much attention at the time and her estate still hasn’t seen a penny from her life-changing creation.

If you are a lady who isn’t currently experiencing an overwhelming surge of pride, then it may be time to check your pulse! To get further info about these female-invented items and to learn about the other 5 inventions, be sure to watch the video below. You go, girls!

We’d love to hear your thoughts on these little-known female inventors. Which one of these inventions do you think changed the world for the better? Were you surprised that the items were invented by women? Are you a female inventor with a story you’d like to share?