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Chicago-based innovations have been changing the world since 1833. That’s when the newly incorporated city spawned a faster way to build homes and buildings.

Since that time, Chicago has been home to innovations from A (agriculture-focused) to Z (the Zipper). They’ve involved cleaning, clothing, communication, construction, consumerism, engineering, farming, food, health, human rights, remote technology, pharmaceuticals, physics, politics, publishing, sports, surgery, television, transportation and more.

Check out our top 25 Chicago innovations, which we compiled with the help of readers and Chicago innovators.

To research our collection of top Chicago innovations, we looked through the baiduhai’s archives, consulted with the Museum of Science and Industry, poured through the Encyclopedia of Chicago, considered other lists and double-checked against organizations’ historical accounts, Tribune reports and other sources.