First Streaker In History

Virginia, known for its historical significance and natural beauty, has contributed some very surprising inventions to society that you may not know of even if you have lived here for years! Beyond its colonial past and scenic landscapes, Virginia has invented common day things such as from the first fraternity to Chapstick.

So let’s take a look at the 5 surprising inventions to come out of Virginia. Did you know that some of these inventions came from your home state or were you just as surprised as I was?

5 Inventions Surprisingly From Virginia

1. Phi Beta Kappa, the first fraternity in the United States was founded at William & Mary in 1776.
2. First officially recorded streaker in United States was found in Virginia thanks to George William Crump. Not long after the founding of fraternities, Crump, a student at Washington and Lee, bared it all and ran through the streets of Lexington in 1804.
3. Chapstick was invented by Dr. Charles Browne Fleet in the early 1880s in Lynchburg.
4. The first free public school started in Hampton in 1634 thanks to Benjamin Syms whom  donated 200 acres and 8 cows to help get the school started.
5. Thomas Jefferson invented the Swivel chair in the 1770s. He sat in a Windsor-style chair while writing parts of the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia, and he tweaked the structure in Monticello to create the world’s first swivel chair.

Find more unique inventions here.