George Blaisdell (June 5, 1895 – October 4, 1978) was an American inventor known for creating the

Zippo A Zippo lighter is a reusable metal lighter produced by Zippo Manufacturing Company of Bradford, Pennsylvania, United States. Thousands of different styles and designs have been made in the nine decades since their introduction, including milita ...

lighter A lighter is a portable device which creates a flame, and can be used to ignite a variety of items, such as cigarettes, gas lighter, fireworks, candles or campfires. It consists of a metal or plastic container filled with a flammable liquid or c ...

, based on an Austrian lighter in 1933. In the 1940s, George bought buildings that could create a

factory A factory, manufacturing plant or a production plant is an industrial facility, often a complex consisting of several buildings filled with machinery, where workers manufacture items or operate machines which process each item into another. T ...

that could make the Zippo lighter.

Childhood and Education

Blaisdell quit school in grade 5, leading his father to send the inventor to a military academy. Blaisdell attended the academy until his sudden dismissal three years later. Thus, Blaisdell only attended school until grade 8. Thereafter, he worked for his family company, the Blaisdell Machinery Company.

Death

George died on October 4, 1978, in

Miami Beach, Florida Miami Beach is a coastal resort city in Miami-Dade County, Florida. It was incorporated on March 26, 1915. The municipality is located on natural and artificial island, man-made barrier islands between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay, the ...

at the age of 83. After his death, his daughters Sarah B. Dorn and Harriet B. Wick took control of the company.

References

Sources

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Blaisdell, George 1895 births 1978 deaths People from Bradford, Pennsylvania 20th-century American inventors