Voting Station

Elias Howe

Please vote to see the next celebrity.

Inventor

The Resume

    (July 9, 1819-October 3, 1867)
    Born in Spencer, Massachusetts
    Received patent #4,750 for a sewing machine using a lockstitch design (1846)
    Founded the Howe Machine Company (1870)
    Inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame (2004)

Why he might be annoying:

    He was not the first person to invent a sewing machine.
    His early machines worked only when he was operating them.
    He was unsuccessful in attempts to market the sewing machine.
    To finance his patent infringement case, he had to ask his father to take out a second mortgage on his farm.

Why he might not be annoying:

    His design was the first practical sewing machine.
    After an unsuccessful attempt to sell his machine in England, he returned to America to discover Isaac M. Singer marketing a sewing machine based on his design.
    After winning his patent infringement suit, he received so much in royalties from Singer and other sewing machine makers that he became the third wealthiest man in America.
    During the Civil War, he provided the equipment for the 17th Connecticut Volunteer Infantry Regiment, and served in the regiment as a private.
    He received the Legion of Honor from Napoleon III (1867).
    The Beatles movie ‘Help!’ was dedicated to him.

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2023, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 8 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 8 Votes: 75.00% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 9 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 3 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 3 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 12 Votes: 58.33% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 18 Votes: 55.56% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 15 Votes: 53.33% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 39 Votes: 48.72% Annoying