Guess I should have said "first practical use" 
or some other phrase.  I'm sure (and didn't mean 
to assume) that the ideas and plans were drawn 
up by many people from many nationalities.  I'm 
thinking along what seems to be the first 
practical use.  USA was the first (and last so 
far) to use the A-bomb in combat.  Germany and 
the USA were supposedly running neck n' neck 
trying to create the bomb...thankfully the US 
beat them to it.  USA was first to commercialize 
movies / animation.  The first war submarine was 
invented by the south during the US Civil War 
(if my history holds up).  Apple and the PC were 
both born in the USA.  When people think of the 
earliest car most think Model-T made by Ford.

Windows, DOS, and a lot of programs were 
developed in the US.  The first console video 
game system goes to Japan (Atari/Pong).

I guess I was thinking along the lines of 
ditribution and who was responsible for getting 
the product out to the pubilc or putting it to 
mass use.  At least we were definitly first to 
walk on the Moon.  ;)

And don't tell me you have all that history 
memorized.  ;)