1. Elijah McCoy Elijah McCoy (1843–1929) invented an oil-dripping cup for trains. Other inventors tried to copy McCoy's oil-dripping cup. But none of the other cups worked as well as his, so customers started asking for "the real McCoy." That's where the expression comes from.

2. Dr. Patricia E. Bath Dr. Patricia. E. Bath (1949–) invented a method of eye surgery that has helped many blind people to see. Dr. Bath has been nominated to the National Inventors Hall of Fame.

3. Lewis Latimer Lewis Latimer (1848–1928) invented an important part of the light bulb — the carbon filament. Latimer worked in the laboratories of both Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham Bell.

4. Madam C. J. Walker Madam C. J. Walker (1867–1919) invented a hair- growing lotion. Walker grew up poor. But she became the first female African- American millionaire.

5. George Washington Carver George Washington Carver (1860–1943) developed peanut butter and 400 plant products! Carver was born a slave. He didn't go to college until he was 30.

6. Ellen Ochoa Ellen Ochoa invented optical analysis systems and was also the world's first Hispanic female astronaut. She received her bachelor of science degree in physics from San Diego State University, and a master of science degree and doctorate in electrical engineering from Stanford University.

7. Luis Leloir Luis Leloir was awarded the Nobel Prize for "his discovery of sugar nucleotides and their role in the biosynthesis of carbohydrates". He graduated as a Medical Doctor in the University of Buenos Aires in 1932 and started his scientific career at the Institute of Physiology working with Professor Bernardo A. Houssay on the role of the adrenalin carbohydrate metabolism.

8. Luis Miramontes Chemist, Luis Miramontes co-invented the contraceptive pill. In 1951, Luis Miramontes, then a college student, was under the direction of Syntex Corp Ceo George Rosenkranz and researcher Carl Djerassi. Miramontes wrote a new procedure for the synthesis of the progestin norethindrone, the active ingredient for what would become the oral birth control pill.

9. Victor Celorio Victor Celorio patented the "Instabook Maker" a technology supporting e-book distribution by quickly and elegantly printing an offline copy. Victor Celorio was granted US patents 6012890 and 6213703 for his invention. Celorio was born on July 27, 1957 in Mexico City. He is the president of Instabook Corporation, based in Gainesville, Florida.

10. Guillermo González Camarena Guillermo González Camarena invented an early color television system. He received US patent 2296019 on September 15, 1942 for his "chromscopic adapter for television equipment". González Camarena publicly demonstrated his color television with a transmission on August 31, 1946. The color transmission was broadcast direct from his laboratory in Mexico City.