People often don't realise but it's not the invention itself which results in fame. It's the ability to commercialise and market it. There have undoubtedly been countless incredible inventions over the millennia. I myself "invented" LinkedIn a decade before it was a thing, but I never successfully commercialised it. I would estimate that most inventions were never widely known. This is why many startups begin with two people: an expert, and a business person.

So you're not wrong: this invention is perhaps nothing particularly special. What made it special was the combination of novelty, utility, and successful commercialisation.