Who invented the helicopter and when?

The first successful helicopter was invented by Igor Sikorsky, a Russian-American aviation pioneer, in 1939. Sikorsky’s VS-300 was the first practical helicopter to achieve controlled, sustained flight. While vertical flight had been explored before, Sikorsky’s design, which included a single main rotor and a tail rotor for stability, was the first to be reliable enough for use. Sikorsky’s work laid the foundation for modern helicopters, which are now widely used in military, medical, and civilian operations.