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Childhood Rocketry
- Lonnie Johnson experimented with rockets as a child, even mixing rocket fuel in his mother's kitchen.
- The fuel ignited, causing a minor fire but fortunately, his father encouraged his curiosity by providing a hot plate for outdoor experiments.
Linex the Robot
- Amidst the Civil Rights Movement, Lonnie built a robot named Linex for a science fair.
- Linex, a remote-controlled robot with articulated arms, won first place at the University of Alabama in 1968.
Super Soaker's Origin
- While working on a heat pump, Lonnie Johnson accidentally invented the Super Soaker by shooting a stream of water across the bathroom.
- Initially aiming to create a toy to fund other inventions, he didn't anticipate its massive success.