November 20, 1923 – Garrett Morgan Patented the Modern Traffic Signal
On this day in 1923, African-American Garrett Morgan (1877-1963), the son of former slaves, patented an automatic traffic signal. He later sold the technology for the Morgan traffic signal to General Electric Corporation for $40,000.
Morgan also invented the safety hood in 1914 (a breathing device consisting of a canvas hood placed over the head with breathing tubes) but had to have a white partner to take credit for the invention so he could sell it. He later designed an improvement on the gas mask.
Morgan is also credited with inventing a belt fastener for sewing machines, a hair straightening cream, black hair oil dye, and a curved-tooth comb for hair straightening.
Morgan was active in his community of Cleveland. He helped found the Cleveland Association of Colored Men and established the newspaper The Cleveland Call. He received a number of awards, but most of them were not bestowed in his lifetime.
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