# The most important Spanish inventions in history

From the mop and Chupa Chups to the autogyro, Peral's submarine and the first e-book: inventions born in Spain that went around the world. Which do you think is the best?

- 5 votes · 16 items
- May 31, 2025 · Paula Ruiz Blanco
- https://even.best/en/l/1704/the-most-important-spanish-inventions-in-history

## Top 16

1. **Autogyro** (1 · ▲1 ▼0) — Juan de la Cierva, 1923: the free-rotor aircraft that paved the way for the helicopter.
2. **Peral submarine** (1 · ▲1 ▼0) — Isaac Peral, 1888: one of the first electrically powered military submarines.
3. **Mop with wringer bucket** (1 · ▲1 ▼0) — Manuel Jalón popularised it in the 1950s: no more scrubbing floors on your knees.
4. **Modern classical guitar** (1 · ▲1 ▼0) — Antonio de Torres set the shape of the classical guitar in the 19th century.
5. **Chupa Chups** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — Enric Bernat, 1958: the lollipop, with a logo by Salvador Dalí.
6. **Table football** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — Alejandro Finisterre patented it in 1937 for children wounded in the war.
7. **Talgo train** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — Alejandro Goicoechea, 1942: the light articulated train.
8. **Ictíneo** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — Narcís Monturiol, 1859: a pioneering submarine; Ictíneo II was the first with an air-independent combustion engine.
9. **El Ajedrecista** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — Leonardo Torres Quevedo, 1912: an automaton that played chess endgames.
10. **Telekino** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — Torres Quevedo, 1903: one of the first radio remote controls.
11. **Whirlpool Aero Car** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — Torres Quevedo designed the cable car that has crossed the Falls since 1916.
12. **Mechanical encyclopedia** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — Ángela Ruiz Robles, 1949: a forerunner of the e-book.
13. **Laryngoscope** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — Singer Manuel García first observed his own vocal cords with a mirror (1854).
14. **Verea calculator** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — Ramón Verea, 1878: a mechanical calculator that multiplied directly.
15. **Disposable syringe** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — Manuel Jalón also developed and manufactured it in Spain.
16. **Stratonautical space suit** (-1 · ▲0 ▼1) — Emilio Herrera, 1935: a forerunner of the space suit.

How is this ranking ordered? By people's votes: each ▲ adds a point and each ▼ takes one away. Anyone can vote and add what is missing.