Inventor Garrett Morgan receives a U.S. patent for a three-position traffic signal, having also invented an early gas mask.
At a Glance
- Date
- 20 November 1923
- Location
- Cleveland, Ohio
- Key people
- Garrett Morgan
- Category
- Science, Medicine & Invention
- Source
- U.S. Patent No. 1,475,024 (1923) · U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
What It Meant Then
His safety inventions saved lives at a time when Black inventors were routinely overlooked.
What It Means Now
Morgan is celebrated as a pioneering Black inventor of everyday safety technology.
Cite this page
- MLA
- “Garrett Morgan Patents the Traffic Signal.” Black-History.com, 30 Sept. 2026, https://black-history.com/on-this-day/garrett-morgan-patents-the-traffic-signal/.
- APA
- Black-History.com Editors. (2026, September 30). Garrett Morgan Patents the Traffic Signal. Black-History.com. https://black-history.com/on-this-day/garrett-morgan-patents-the-traffic-signal/
- Chicago
- Black-History.com Editors. “Garrett Morgan Patents the Traffic Signal.” Black-History.com. September 30, 2026. https://black-history.com/on-this-day/garrett-morgan-patents-the-traffic-signal/.
Editorial Note
By the Black-History.com editors. Last reviewed 30 September 2026. To suggest a primary source or a correction, write to editors@black-history.com or use our corrections form.