You Can’t Go a Dayton Without Dayton

Can you go a day without Dayton? In this series, you will discover the amazing stories of how Dayton changed the world!

Aviation

Look around you. Can you imagine the world without airplanes?

The last time you traveled, made an online order, or enjoyed fresh produce out of season, did you thank the Wright brothers?

Carillon Historical Park houses the 1905 Wright Flyer III: the only airplane designated a National Historic Landmark. Gifted to Carillon Park by Orville Wright himself, the Wright Flyer III is the world’s first practical airplane.

Electric Starter

Can you imagine a world where you had to hand crank your car?

Inside Deeds Barn—now housed at Carillon Park—Daytonian Charles Kettering and his Barn Gang invented the electric starting system for the automobile. It opened up the freedom and convenience of driving to almost anyone!

Pop-Top

Can you imagine a world without pop top cans?

You’d be searching for a church key every time you wanted to enjoy your favorite canned beverage.Invented by Daytonian Ermal Fraze, pop tops are employed around the world 275 billion times a year!

LCD

Can you imagine a world without LCDs?

The next time you get lost in your mobile device, remember the liquid crystal display you so cherish was perfected by Dayton’s John Janning at NCR!

Ritty Dial

Can you imagine a world without cash registers?

The first practical cash register was invented by Daytonian James Ritty. Known as the Ritty Dial, it sparked a business revolution that made Dayton the world’s largest supplier of business machines for the next half-century!

Receipts

Can you imagine a world without receipts?

No matter what you’re shopping for, most of us don’t think twice about getting a receipt. Thanks to Daytonian John H. Patterson of NCR, his now centuries-old concept of getting a receipt continues to protect merchants and customers around the world!