10 big Jewish inventions

We can thank members of the tribe for many wacky, wonderful, important, life-changing inventions of the past 120 years.

1. The Teddy Bear

Did you know that the teddy bear owes its existence to a Jewish couple?

Morris Michtom, a Brooklyn candy shop owner, and his wife, Rose, created a stuffed toy bear in honor of Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt. It all began when Roosevelt went on a hunting trip in 1902 but failed to locate a single bear. His assistants reportedly cornered and tied a black bear to a tree for the American president to shoot.

A big game hunter, Roosevelt refused to kill the bear becau...