The cotton swab (Q-tips)

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Who

Leo Gerstenzang, a Polish-born Jewish immigrant to the United States

When

1923

Where

New York, United States

Watching his wife wrap wads of cotton around a toothpick to clean their baby's ears, Leo Gerstenzang made a ready-made version and sold it from 1923 as Baby Gays, renamed Q-tips in 1926. He was a Jewish immigrant from Warsaw, and his idea became one of the most-produced household objects on earth.

Sources

Part of “The Gifts of the Jews” — verified Jewish contributions to the world, with sources.