Innovators and instigators who've made an impact on NH

NH Originals by NH Outlook highlights the innovators and instigators who've made an impact on New Hampshire and the world. For more check out

The McDonald's Brothers
During the 1930's, Manchester brothers, Richard and Maurice McDonald had dreams of making it big in Hollywood. They moved to California and found jobs at Columbia Pictures, moving lights and sets. It wasn't exactly the jobs they had in mind! They soon gave up on their Hollywood dream and, in 1948, opened a restaurant in San Bernardino. It was the start of the fast food phenomenon in America-and the birth of the McDonalds franchise.

Ralph Baer
Fast, flashy and exhilarating, video games have captured our interest and excitement. But did you know that a gentleman from New Hampshire is actually credited as the "father of home video games?" Ralph Baer from Manchester came up with the idea in 1966, while waiting for a co-worker at a bus terminal. It was a Eureka! moment, but it took him a while to realize it.

Dean Kamen
New Hampshire's own Dean Kamen has a passion for invention and could one day rank up there with those who've revolutionized the way we live. Kamen holds more than 150 patents, including the Segway Human Transporter, the heart stent, a portable dialysis machine and the independence mobility system or IBOT wheelchair. Kamen is currently field-testing a water purification device that could revolutionize how third world countries produce clean water.

Arthur Walden & the Chinook
When veteran dogsledder Arthur Walden wanted to create a breed of powerful sled dogs, he crossed a St. Bernard mix with a Greenland Husky and the gentle, fun loving Chinook sled dog was born. In 1928, Walden and 100 of his new Chinooks joined Admiral Richard Byrd on a South Pole expedition. The original dog named Chinook did not survive the expedition. But the breed Walden created and lovingly nurtured lives on.
Sarah Josepha Hale

Sarah Josepha Hale
Born in 1788 in Newport, New Hampshire, Sarah Josepha Hale left a lasting impression on America. For 20 years, Hale lobbied senators and Presidents to declare an annual Thanksgiving observance. In 1863, her efforts paid off, when President Lincoln declared a Thanksgiving Day. Hale was also an author (she wrote the "Mary Had a Little Lamb" nursery rhyme, among other works), and the first women's magazine editor in America.