Hugo Gernsbacher was born in Luxembourg in 1884. He received a technical education; his special interest was telephone and electrical communications equipment. By the end of his life, he would have 80 patents. He came to America in 1904, and began a company called the Electric Importing Company, which was the forerunner of companies like Radio Shack, selling radio building equipment by mail. The catalog of this company became Modern Electrics, a magazine that he edited and published. In 1926 he started Amazing Stories, perhaps the most famous of the early sf magazines. He died in 1967.

(From Science Wonder Stories)

Science fiction fans everywhere recognize him as the “Father of Science Fiction.” The most prestigious award in science fiction writing, the Hugo award, is named for him.

Acoustic Apparatus (Osophone) - original patent filing
A device that used bone conduction to transmit sound.

Acoustic Apparatus (1923)

Actinoscope
A device that used a pulsating polarized ether wave to judge the distance to an object (a RADAR)

Ralph 124c 41 + (1911)

Aerocab (Aeroflyer)
A electric flying taxi, or car.

Ralph 124c 41 + (1911)

Alohydrolium
The lightest metal.

Ralph 124c 41 + (1911)

Appetizer
An amazing adjunct to science-based restaurants; a room that increases appetite with gas!

Ralph 124c 41 + (1911)

Artificial Cloth
The creation of fabrics without organic natural fibers.

Ralph 124c 41 + (1911)

Automatic-Electric Packing Machine
A device able to pack randomly shaped objects combined into a single package automatically.

Ralph 124c 41 + (1911)

Detectophone - machine translation of language
First use of the idea of a voice-activated machine.

Ralph 124c 41 + (1911)

Gravity Nullification (Gravity Screen)
Gravity annulled in its entirety in a small area.

Ralph 124c 41 + (1911)

Helio-Dynamophores (Sun-Power-Generators)
Photo-electric elements which transformed the solar heat direct into electric energy.

Ralph 124c 41 + (1911)

Hypnobioscope - learn while you sleep
The first fictional reference to sleep teaching.

Ralph 124c 41 + (1911)

Iridium Spirals (Street Lights)
Streetlights provide sunlight at night.

Ralph 124c 41 + (1911)

Language Rectifier early reference to machine translation
The first reference to machine-translation of human languages.

Ralph 124c 41 + (1911)

Menograph (Mind-Writer)
Direct translation of thought to paper.

Ralph 124c 41 + (1911)

Personalized News
First reference to news that is customized to the needs of each individual subscriber.

Ralph 124c 41 + (1911)

Radar
Detection of objects at a distance.

Ralph 124c 41 + (1911)

Scientifiction
Writing that combines science and fiction.

Thought Transmission on Mars (1916)

Space-Sick
Uneasiness associated with space travel.

Ralph 124c 41 + (1911)

Steelonium - very early reference
A remarkable kind of steel that did not rust or corrode.

Ralph 124c 41 + (1911)

Sub-Atlantic Tube - undersea tunnel
A tunnel under the ocean; the shortest distance between the two points.

Ralph 124c 41 + (1911)