Most of us grew up knowing the Super Soaker.
But far fewer people know the brilliant engineer behind it.
Lonnie G. Johnson, the inventor of one of the world’s most iconic water toys, is a former U.S. Air Force and NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory engineer whose career reaches far beyond the toy aisle.
Johnson worked on major space projects, including NASA’s Galileo mission to Jupiter, and later contributed to projects connected to the Cassini mission to Saturn. He has also earned more than 100 U.S. patents throughout his career.
The idea for the Super Soaker came while Johnson was experimenting with a new type of heat pump. A powerful stream of water sparked an idea, and what began as an engineering experiment eventually became a global toy phenomenon.
The Super Soaker went on to generate hundreds of millions of dollars in sales and became one of America’s bestselling toys, helping turn Johnson’s unexpected invention into a piece of pop culture history.
Johnson’s story is a reminder that some of the world’s most recognizable inventions can come from curiosity, experimentation and a willingness to keep building.
The man behind the water gun was a scientist all along.
Source: @blkcultureunfiltered | NASA | National Inventors Hall of Fame
