A fair few of these have claims to have changed the world, too.
A surprising amount of everyday items were thought of and developed in the North East, and these are some of the names we have to thank for our lives today.
From lightbulbs to Lucozade, these are some of the North East names credited with famous inventions.
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5. William Armstrong
Armstrong can be credited for much of the world's development in the 19th century. He created the world’s first hydro-electric machine, which he then used to power cranes. These were sent from the North East to over 50 countries across the world. | T&W Archives
6. William Wouldhave
William Wouldhave, who was born in 1751 in North Shields, lays claim to the invention of the lifeboat. Following a tragic Newcastle shipwreck, a competition was launched to create a suitable boat to rescue those in danger. Wouldhave won after coming up with a copper shop buoyed by cork. Photo: RNLI
7. iPads
This may be a bit of a stretch, but Jonathan Ive, originally from London, attended what's now known as Northumbria University- living in the city for multiple years. He went on to become the chief design officer of Apple and is behind the designs for the iPad, iPhone and Apple watch- amongst other things. Photo: None
8. John Henry Holmes
The omnipresent light switch was brought to us by another Newcastle inventor by the name of John Henry Holmes. In 1884, Holmes patented the now familiar light switch, which came about as a result of installing lighting at his father’s house. | Getty Images