Lonnie George Johnson (born October 6, 1949) is an American inventor, aerospace engineer, and entrepreneur, best known for inventing the bestselling Super Soaker water gun in 1989. He was formerly employed at the U.S. Air Force and NASA, where he worked at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.[2]
Early life
Johnson was born in Mobile, Alabama on October 6, 1949.[3] His mother, who finished high school, worked as a nurse's aide and his father, who didn't finish high school, was a World War II veteran. He had 5 siblings. His father explained the basic principles of electricity to Johnson at an early age, which inspired Johnson's love of inventing.[4] Stating that he "always liked to tinker with things," Johnson earned the nickname "the Professor" from kids in the neighborhood, who would assist him with his creations.[4] He once "tore up his sister's baby doll to see what made her eyes close".[2] On another occasion, Johnson and the neighborhood children made a go-cart, with a motor Johnson built by himself out of metal from the local junkyard.[4] He also tried to cook up rocket fuel in a saucepan but in doing so almost burned down the house
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