EDUARD PENKALA, born 1871
INVENTOR OF THE HOT WATER BOTTLE
Eduard Penkala, born in 1871 of Dutch descent in what is now Croatia, was the inventor of the hot water bottle. He was extraordinarily prolific, inventing not only the hot water bottle (his first invention) but also, among 80 other patents, the fountain pen, the propelling pencil, and the rotating toothbrush. He also invented a material for making gramophone records, also detergents, sealing wax, pesticides, and a treatment for rheumatism. He applied the profits of his successful fountain pen business into early aviation, launching his first bi-plane aircaft only seven years after the Wright Brothers first flight. Penkala died at the tragically early age of 50, after catching pneumonia on a business trip.