This Day in History: 1844-05-02

Elijah McCoy, a Black American inventor who received more than 50 patents for his inventions during his lifetime, is born. His most famous invention was a cup that feeds lubricating oil to machine bearings through a small tube. Machinists and engineers who wanted genuine McCoy lubricators might have used the expression “the real McCoy”—a term meaning “the real deal” or “the genuine article.” Learn more.