Today in History: Inventor Lonnie G. Johnson – More Than Just the Super Soaker

 

Engineer and inventor Lonnie G. Johnson was born in Alabama October 6th, 1949. After graduating from Tuskegee University with a master’s degree in Nuclear Engineering, Johnson joined the U.S. Air Force. He was assigned to the Strategic Air Command, where he helped develop the stealth bomber program. His other assignments included working as a systems engineer for the Galileo mission to Jupiter and the Cassini mission to Saturn. On Oct. 16, 1984, Johnson received a patent for thermal energy accumulation – pressurized fluid-powered thermodynamic heat pump.

Although he is best known for inventing the Super Soaker squirt gun, Johnson has continued his work in the energy sector. He owns and operates Johnson ElectroMechanical Systems (JEMS) with a focus on developing alternative energy generation technologies to meet tomorrow’s energy needs. And Excellatron Solid State, LLC, a U.S. based technology company, introducing innovative and enabling energy storage technology. Johnson currently holds over 80 patents.

Source: CNN