Somewhat Firearm related. Kevlar helped to make soft armor and bullet proof vests a reality for law enforcement. Did you know the inventor was a woman?

Stephanie Kwolek was the inventor of Kevlar. Born in 1923, Kwolek grew up in Pennsylvania. She attended the women’s college of Carnegie-Mellon University. Upon graduating Kwolek applied to work as a chemist at DuPont Company and was quickly hired. While Kwolek had planned to attend medical school, she enjoyed the work with polymer research so much she decided to pursue chemistry instead. In 1965, Kwolek created the first of a family of synthetic fibers of exceptional strength and stiffness. Kevlar became the best known of this family. For her work, Kwolek has won many awards including the National Medal of Technology, the Perkin Medal, and an induction into the National Inventors Hall of Fame. Kwolek was one of the first women to be recognized with each of these honors. (Photo Credit: Smithsonian Institution)