It has been over 225 years since the first patent was issued. Samuel Hopkins was granted the first patent in the United States on July 31, 1790, for “The Making of Potash and Pearl Ashes” U.S. Patent No. X1. The patent was signed by President Washington, Attorney General Randolph, and Secretary of State Jefferson. The original document is in the collections of the Chicago Historical Society.

The 1 millionth patent (U.S. Patent No. 1,000,000) was granted on August 8, 1911, to Francis H. Holton of Akron, Ohio for a “Vehicle Tire”.  This tire was designed to be more resilient to “injury by puncture and very much more durable in service as well as being considerably less expensive in original cost.”

There is a lot of buzz in the patent world as the issuance of the 10 millionth patent nears. The USPTO recently stated at this year’s SXSW’s conference that “[g]iving inventors exclusive rights to their ideas was defined in the U.S. Constitution, and the 10 millionth represents a significant milestone documenting the United States’ global achievements in innovation and the economic powerhouse that can be built with over 200 years of intellectual property protection.”

The USPTO also released a video clip capturing their excitement as well.