Garrett Morgan: Innovator of Safety and Traffic Signals

After witnessing a deadly crash on the busy streets of Cleveland, one man’s quick

thinking changed the way the entire world moves. Garrett Morgan, an African-American

inventor born in 1877, saw chaos unfold at an intersection where cars,

horses, and pedestrians collided. Determined to prevent future tragedies,

he patented the modern three-color traffic signal in 1923 introducing the crucial “caution”

phase that allowed time between “stop” and “go.” But Morgan’s brilliance didn’t stop there.

Years earlier, in 1912, he invented a safety hood and smoke protector an early version

of the gas mask which he later used himself to rescue workers trapped in a toxic tunnel