Anna Connelly- The Woman who invented Fire Escapes.

Did you know that modern fire escapes owe their existence to a woman? At a time before women were allowed to vote or even work outside the home, Anna Connelly was one of the first women to submit an idea to the patent office.

The first steel exterior staircase, predecessor of the modern fire escape, was patented by an American inventor named Anna Connelly. She was one of the first women to register a patent for an invention after the Civil War, when women were finally allowed to file patents for themselves.

Connelly’s design was a revolutionary way to make buildings safer by adding an exterior staircase with platforms between levels that prevented people from falling several stories down a flight of stairs in the panic of an emergency.

It goes without saying how important her discovery was; a breakthrough which benefits us all.

Sources: Google and EastCoastFireEscapes