U.S. patent numbers-first of each year 1836-1985 1836 1 1874 146,120 1912 1,013,095 1950 2,492,944 1837 110 1875 158,350 1913 1,049,326 1951 2,536,016 1838 546 1876 171,641 1914 1,083,267 1952 2,580,379 1839 1,061 1877 185,813 1915 1,123,212 1953 2,624,046 1840 1,465 1878 198,733 1916 1,166,419 1954 2,664,562 1841 1,923 1879 211,078 1917 1,210,389 1955 2,698,434 1842 2,413 1880 223,211 1918 1,251,458 1956 2,728,913 1843 2,911 1881 236,137 1919 1,290,027 1957 2,775,762 1844 3,395 1882 251,685 1920 1,326,899 1958 2,818,567 1845 3,873 1883 269,820 1921 1,364,063 1959 2,866,973 1846 4,348 1884 291,016 1922 1,401,948 1960 2,919,443 1847 4,914 1885 310,163 1923 1,440,362 1961 2,966,681 1848 5,409 1886 333,494 1924 1,478,996 1962 3,015,103 1849 5,981 1887 335,291 1925 1,521,590 1963 3,070,801 1850 6,980 1888 375,720 1926 1,568,040 1964 3,116,487 1851 7,865 1889 395,305 1927 1,612,700 1965 3,163,865 1852 8,622 1890 418,665 1928 1,654,521 1966 3,226,729 1853 9,512 1891 443,987 1929 1,696,897 1967 3,295,143 1854 10,358 1892 466,315 1930 1,742,181 1968 3,360,800 1855 12,117 1893 488,976 1931 1,787,424 1969 3,419,907 1856 14,009 1894 511,744 1932 1,839,190 1970 3,487,470 1857 16,324 1895 522,502 1933 1,892,663 1971 3,551,909 1858 19,010 1896 531,619 1934 1,941,449 1972 3,631,539 1859 22,477 1897 569,467 1935 1,985,878 1973 3,707,729 1860 26,642 1898 574,369 1936 2,026,516 1974 3,781,914 1861 31,005 1899 616,871 1937 2,066,309 1975 3,858,241 1862 34,045 1900 640,167 1938 2,104,004 1976 3,930,271 1863 37,266 1901 644,827 1939 2,142,080 1977 4,000,520 1864 41,047 1902 690,385 1940 2,185,170 1978 4,065,812 1865 45,685 1903 717,521 1941 2,227,418 1979 4,131,952 1866 51,784 1904 748,567 1942 2,268,540 1980 4,180,867 1867 60,658 1905 778,834 1943 2,307,007 1981 4,242,757 1868 72,959 1906 808,618 1944 2,338,081 1982 4,308,622 1869 85,503 1907 839,799 1945 2,366,154 1983 4,366,579 1870 98,460 1908 875,679 1946 2,391,856 1984 4,423,523 1871 110,617 1909 908,436 1947 2,413,675 1985 4,490,885 1872 122,304 1910 945,010 1948 2,433,824 1873 134,504 1911 980,178 1949 2,457,797