You probably ride in a car every day. Maybe you use a computer to do your homework, or surf the Internet. And you probably talk to your friends on the phone- a lot! But can you imagine life without cars, computers, the Internet, or telephones? These inventions play such big roles in our every day lives that it is practically impossible to think of a world without them. But just over a hundred years ago, none of these inventions existed. Back then, most people couldn't imagine what life would be with them! Luckily, a few ordinary people could.

We've all heard the names Thomas Edison and Benjamin Franklin. These men were two of the brilliant inventors that helped make modern civilization what it is today. A simple carpenter invented the first compass that could navigate at sea. And a teacher at a school for the deaf invented the...