Elias Howe received a patent for a lockstitch sewing machine on this day in 1846.

Did you know that:

• Waldo Semon, an American inventor who invented vinyl, was born on this day in 1898
• Gunpei Yokoi, a Japanese inventor and video game designer for Nintendo, was born on this day in 1941
• Indian actor, Amitabh Bachchan, was awarded Actor of the Century at the Alexandria Film Festival on this day in 2001