Registered nurse Marie Van Brittan Brown grew weary of the high crime rate in her Queens, New York neighborhood. She and her her electrical engineer husband Albert were furious at the amount of time it took for police to respond to calls. They decided to take matters into their own hands.
Marie and Albert rigged an elaborate and ingenious systems of peepholes, cameras and microphones in their home. The system had its own power supply that operated various transmitters, as well as a pushbutton alarm that silently signaled police. Their system worked so well that they applied for a patent — the first of its kind for a home security system. In December 1969, they were granted Patent Number US3482037A — three years after they filed their application.
Marie and Albert’s patent has been cited as the inspiration for numerous inventions and improvements as of 2024.
Marie passed away in 1999 at the age of 76. Her daughter Norma followed in her mother’s footsteps, becoming both a nurse and an inventor.