James Watt-1775

While Thomas Savery patented the first crude steam engine in 1698. Thomas Newcomen
improved on this design. However, it wasn't until Scotsman James Watt improved on the steam
engine in the second half of the 18th century that it became a truly viable piece of machinery
that helped start the Industrial Revolution.

Eli Whitney-1793, 1798

The cotton gin is a machine designed to remove cotton from its seeds. The process uses a small
screen and pulling hooks to force the cotton through the screen. It was invented by Eli Whitney
on March 14, 1794, one of the many inventions that occurred during the American Industrial
Revolution. However, earlier versions of the cotton gin had existed since the first century. It was
improved over time from a single roller design to a double roller machine.
Robert Fulton-1807
Robert Fulton (17651815) was an American engineer and inventor who is widely known for
developing a commercially successful steamboat called Clermont. In 1807, that steamboat took
passengers from New York City to Albany and back again, a round trip of 300 miles, in 62 hours.

Samuel F. B. Morse-1836
The electric telegraph is a now outdated communication system that transmitted electric signals
over wires from location to location and then translated into a message.The non-electric
telegraph was invented by Claude Chappe in 1794. His system was visual and used semaphore, a
flag-based alphabet, and depended on a line of sight for communication. The optical telegraph
was later replaced by the electric telegraph, which is the focus of this article.
Elias Howe-1844
Hand sewing is an art form that is over 20,000 years old. The first sewing needles were made of
bones or animal horns and the first thread was made of animal sinew. Iron needles were
invented in the 14th century. The first eyed needles appeared in the 15th century.The first
possible patent connected to mechanical sewing was a 1755 British patent issued to German,
Charles Weisenthal. Weisenthal was issued a patent for a needle that was designed for a
machine, however, the patent did not describe the rest of the machine if one existed.

Cyrus Field-1866
When the first transatlantic telegraph cable was laid in 1858 by businessman Cyrus West Field, it
operated for only three weeks; subsequent attempts in 1865 and 1866 were more successful.
Although a telephone cable was discussed starting in the 1920s, to be practical it needed a
number of technological advances which did not arrive until the 1940s. Starting in 1927,
transatlantic telephone service was radio-based.
Alexander Graham Bell-1876
In the 1870s, two inventors, Elisha Gray and Alexander Graham Bell, both independently
designed devices that could transmit speech electrically (the telephone). Both men rushed their
respective designs to the patent office within hours of each other. Bell patented his telephone
first. Gray and Bell entered into a famous legal battle over the invention of the telephone, which
Bell won.

Thomas Edison-1877, 1879

Rudolf Diesel -1892
The legendary inventor Thomas Edison was the father of landmark inventions, including the
phonograph, the modern light bulb, the electrical grid, and motion pictures. Here's a look at a
few of his greatest hits. Rudolf Diesel designed many heat engines, including a solar-powered air
engine. In 1893, he published a paper describing an engine with combustion within a cylinder,
the internal combustion engine. In Augsburg, Germany on August 10, 1893, Rudolf Diesel's
prime model, a single 10-foot iron cylinder with a flywheel at its base, ran on its own power for
the first time. That same year he published a paper describing the internal combustion engine to
the world.

In 1894, he filed for a patent for his new invention, dubbed the diesel engine. Diesel was almost
killed by his engine when it exploded.Diesel spent two more years making improvements and in
1896 demonstrated another model with the theoretical efficiency of 75 percent, in contrast to
the ten percent efficiency of the steam engine

In 1898, Rudolf Diesel was granted patent #608,845 for an "internal combustion engine." The
diesel engines of today are refined and improved versions of Rudolf Diesel's original
concept.They are often used in submarines, ships, locomotives, and large trucks and in electric
generating plants.Rudolf Diesel's inventions have three points in common: They relate to heat
transference by natural physical processes or laws; they involve markedly creative mechanical
design; and they were initially motivated by the inventor's concept of sociological needsby
finding a way to enable independent craftsmen and artisans to compete with large industry.That
last goal didnt exactly pan out as Diesel expected. His invention could be used by small
businesses, but it was embraced eagerly by the industrialists, as well. His engines were used to
power pipelines, electric and water plants, automobiles and trucks, and marine craft, and soon
after were used in mines, oil fields, factories, and transoceanic shipping. Diesel became a
millionaire by the end of the 20th century.

In 1913, Rudolf Diesel disappeared en route to London while on an ocean steamer. He is

assumed to have drowned in the English Channel.
Orville and Wilbur Wright-1903
Orville and Wilbur Wright were the inventors of the first airplane. On December 17, 1903, the
Wright brothers launched the era of human flight when they successfully tested a flying vehicle
that took off by its own power, flew naturally at even speed and descended without damage.

Before we get into the history of human flight, let's first understand what an airplane is. While
we've seen airplanes in the sky and many of us have even experienced air travel by flying to
places that would have taken much longer by any other means of transportation, airplanes can
take many forms. By definition, an airplane is simply any aircraft with a fixed wing and is
powered by propellers or jets.

However, before that fateful takeoff, other inventors made numerous attempts to make like the
birds and fly. Among these earlier efforts were contraptions such as kites, hot air balloons,
airships, gliders and other types of aircraft. And while some progress was made, everything
changed when the Wright brothers decided to tackle the problem of manned flight. Orville
Wright (1871-1948) and Wilbur Wright (1867-1912) had requested a patent application for a
"flying machine" nine months before their first successful flight.

They were that confidant.

As part of the Wright Brothers' systematic practice of photographing every prototype and test of
their various flying machines, they had persuaded an attendant from a nearby lifesaving station
to snap Orville Wright in full flight. The aircraft soared to an altitude of 10 feet, traveled 120 feet,
and landed 12 seconds after takeoff.

After making two longer flights that day, Orville and Wilbur Wright sent a telegram to their
father, instructing him to inform the press that manned flight had taken place. This was birth of
the first real airplane.

After the Wright Brothers, inventors continued to improve airplanes. This led to the invention of
jets, which are used by both the military and commercial airlines. A jet is an airplane propelled
by jet engines. Jets fly much faster than propeller-powered aircraft and at higher altitudes, some
as high as 10,000 to 15,000 meters (about 33,000 to 49,000 feet). Two engineers, Frank Whittle
of the United Kingdom and Hans von Ohain of Germany, are credited with the development of
the jet engine during the late 1930s.

Since then, some firms have developed electric aircrafts that runs on electric motors rather than
internal combustion engines. The electricity comes from alternative fuel sources such as fuel
cells, solar cells, ultracapacitors, power beaming and batteries. While the technology is in its
infancy, some production models are already on the market.

Another area of exploration is with rocket-powered aircraft. These airplanes use engines that run
on rocket propellant for propulsion, allowing them to soar at higher speeds and achieve faster
acceleration.

An early rocket-powered aircraft called the Me 163 Komet was deployed by the Germans during
World War II. The Bell X-1 rocket plane was the first plane to break the sound barrier in 1947.
Currently, the the North American X-15 holds the world record for the highest speed ever
recorded by a manned, powered aircraft. More adventurous firms have also begun
experimenting with rocket-powered propulsion. Examples include SpaceShipOne, designed by
American aerospace engineer Burt Rutan and Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo.

Henry Ford-1908, 1913

Henry Ford was an American industrialist, the founder of the Ford Motor Company, and the
sponsor of the development of the assembly line technique of mass production.