22. Stephanie Kwolek invented the material used for bullet proof vests
Stephanie Kwolek was a Polish American chemist whose career at Dupont spanned over forty years. While there she attempted to develop a new synthetic material to be used to manufacture lightweight tires, helping automobiles achieve greater fuel efficiency. The material she developed became known as Kevlar, and the patent for the material she released to the company. Kevlar was used in over 200 applications, including tennis rackets, cell phone bodies, boots, skis, and bullet-proof vests. As of 2018 she is the only woman to have been awarded Dupont’s prestigious Lavoisier Medal. The number of lives saved by Kevlar vests is impossible to estimate.