Hungarian inventions that we still use today
Hungary is a small country in global terms. Many people confuse Budapest with Bucharest or the English word Hungary with hungry, but our scientists and inventors carried (and carry) our good name around the world. We have collected in chronological order some important Hungarian inventions that are used all over the world.
mRNA technology
Katalin Karikó, PhD, is a Hungarian biochemist and researcher, best known for her contributions to mRNA technology and the COVID-19 vaccines. The Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institute has decided to award the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine jointly to Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman for their discoveries. The discoveries by the two Nobel Laureates were critical for developing effective mRNA vaccines against COVID-19 during the pandemic that began in early 2020. Through their groundbreaking findings, which have fundamentally changed our understanding of how mRNA interacts with our immune system, the laureates contributed to the unprecedented rate of vaccine development during one of the greatest threats to human health in modern times.
Vitamin C
Albert Szent-Györgyi is another Nobel Prize-winning physician, biochemist who was the inventor of ascorbic acid. Let us quote the key sentence of Szent-Györgyi's lecture on March 18, 1932, at the meeting of the Budapest Royal Medical Association:
"This is the first time we say publicly that hexuronic acid and vitamin C are the same."
As the discoverer of vitamin C, Szent-Györgyi immediately gained world fame.
He was eventually awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1937 for his research on vitamin C, "in recognition of his discoveries concerning the process of biological combustion, particularly his research work with vitamin C and the fumaric acid catalyst."
Colored television
Péter Károly Goldmark is a Hungarian, American engineer-physicist (at the time working at CBS), who perfected the process of color television after the Second World War.
Dust extinguisher (dust extinguishing equipment)
The inventor of the safety device that is still used today and saves lives is Kornél Szilvay, a Hungarian mechanical engineer and fire brigade colonel, who submitted the patent application in 1928.
Pen
The ballpoint pen is attributed to József László Bíró. Bíró was originally a journalist, but he also dabbled in painting. Several people had tried the idea of the ballpoint pen before him, but the tool used today is mostly associated with his name. The theory behind it is simple: he used a thicker ink so that it wouldn't smear the paper and edited a small ball into the pen. As the ball spins, apply the ink to the paper.
Holography
Dénes Gábor, a Hungarian physicist with British citizenship invented the holography in 1947.
"Holography is an image recording process based on the wave nature of light, which can be used to create a perfect three-dimensional image of the object's structure."
Rubik's Cube (Magic Cube)
The best-known game in Hungary is undoubtedly the Rubik's cube, which was originally called the magic cube. Since then, Ernő Rubik's invention has brought him world-famous recognition, and he has improved his game in several stages. The first Rubik's Cube World Championship was held on June 5, 1982, and has been held every two years since 2003.
Helicopter
Although the motor-driven helicopter was invented by Jan Bahyl and the first mass-produced piece was designed by Igor Sikorsky, the first experimental helicopter was flown by the Hungarian aviator (aviation expert) Oszkár Asbóth on September 9, 1928. We note that his professional role is disputed by some sources.
Microsoft Word and Excel
Two of Microsoft's best-known products were developed under the leadership of Charles Simonyi, aka Károly Simonyi. And if we are talking about the computer industry, we must mention that János Neumann had a lion's share in laying the foundations of the digital computer.
Which invention was a surprise to you? Did you know that they are invented by Hungarian scientists? How is your language learning journey going? Share your experiences!
Nora, OLS Community Manager – Hungarian