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of metal, then warm air was piped into the walls. She was given a grant from the Ford Foundation to create solar houses for people living in all latitudes. Today, we see many solar-paneled houses and businesses, and they continue to expand across the nation. The Dishwasher Josephine Cochrane invented the first automatic dishwasher that involved a motor turning the wheel inside a copper boiler. How did she come up with this ingenious invention? She wanted a machine that would relieve housewives of the duty of washing dishes after every meal. Cochrane’s invention has evolved into the dishwashers that most of us have in our homes today. Home Security Systems Marie Van Brittan Brown was a nurse who was often home alone at night. During the 1960s, there was a rise in the crime rate and a decrease in police responses, and she began to feel unsafe in her own home. With help from her husband, she created a camera powered by a motor that looked through the peepholes in her front door. The alarm was paired with a monitor in her bedroom and an alarm button. This simple, effective design has since been transformed into full home security products, like Ring cameras! Monopoly The game we all know and love was created by Elizabeth Magie in 1904. She is an inventor and stenographer who created this game
to educate people about monopolies, unchecked capitalism, and the negative effects of having vast sums of wealth. Monopoly was ranked as one of the best-selling games in 2020 and 2021, and to this day, Monopoly is still educating people. All of these inventions are items that most of us use every day in our daily lives. There are so many strong and powerful women in this world. On March 8, be sure to thank the women in your life for everything they have done and continue to do for you.
I DON’T WANT TO BE LIKE MIKE Why One Man Sued Michael Jordan for $832 Million
Many people have been told they have a passing resemblance to a celebrity, and they usually have a funny story or two. To Allen Ray Heckard, his celebrity look-alike was no laughing matter. In 2006, he sued Michael Jordan for looking too much like him and ruining his life. The amount of the lawsuit was $832 million, and Heckard not only sued Jordan but also Nike, reasoning that the company helped Jordan achieve his incredible fame. The complaint argued that the resemblance to Jordan “has troubled Heckard’s nerves” and being stopped by fans caused him emotional distress for over 15 years. He requested damages for defamation, permanent injury, and pain and suffering. For someone tired of being “recognized,” Heckard didn’t shy away from media coverage. When asked how he arrived at the astronomical $832 million lawsuit figure, he gave this much-shared (yet difficult to parse) answer: “Well, you figure with my age, and you multiply that by seven and, ah, then I turn around and, ah, I figure that’s what it all boils down to.” When asked why he felt the resemblance to Jordan had affected his life so negatively, he could only answer, “I want to be recognized as me, just like Michael’s recognized as Michael.” Funnily enough, most people didn’t think Heckard and Jordan looked alike at all. While each had a bald head, mustache, and a
gold earring, the similarities seemed to end there. Many news stories noted that, compared to Jordan, Heckard is 8 years older and 6 inches shorter. One question reporters did not appear to ask was why Heckard felt that Jordan should be held personally liable for hundreds of millions of dollars simply for his natural appearance. Sadly, we will probably never
know the answer because the case ended rather unceremoniously. After a few weeks, Heckard dropped the lawsuit. He never publicly shared why, but a Nike spokesperson was glad to speculate that Heckard “finally realized he would end up paying our court costs if the lawsuit went to trial.” In the end, many ‘90s kids would argue that Heckard was most guilty of looking a gift horse in the mouth. After all, there is no higher achievement than to “be like Mike.”
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