We take the tools of modern life for granted. But it was the genius of inventors in various nations that provided them for us. Life would be far different without them. Here’s the background on some of them that originated after 1850.
The internal combustion engine – France, 1859
In 1859, Belgian-born Parisian engineer Jean Joseph Étienne Lenoir invented the world’s first workable internal combustion engine, which used coal gas as a fuel. Nowadays, internal combustion engines power almost all land and water vehicles.
The telephone – USA/Canada, 1876
Like many game-changing inventions, the telephone was developed over many years by a number of individuals, but Scottish-born innovator Alexander Graham Bell is credited with inventing the first practical model in 1876. Bell worked on his invention at his home in Canada and at his lab in the United States.
The radio – Italy, 1895
Although a number of pioneers were involved in the development of long-distance radio transmission, it was Italian inventor Guglielmo Marconi who created the first viable radio apparatus and wireless telegraphy system back in 1895.
The airplane – USA, 1903
Aviation pioneers Orville and Wilbur Wright are credited with inventing the world’s first airplane, which they flew for four miles over South Carolina in 1903, forever altering the way the human race travels, transports goods and fights wars.
Modern air conditioning – USA, 1902
The first workable electric air conditioning unit was invented by American engineer Willis Carrier in 1902. Artificial cooling enables people to live comfortably in hot places, and cities such as Phoenix and Dubai would be virtually uninhabitable in summer without this technology.
Penicillin – England, 1928
In September 1928, Scottish physician Alexander Fleming first isolated penicillin in his basement lab at St Mary’s Hospital in London. Quite possibly the single most important medical advance of the 20th century, antibiotic penicillin has transformed medicine and significantly increased human longevity.
The transistor – USA, 1947
Believe it or not, many experts regard the transistor as one of the most important inventions of the 20th century. An essential component of most modern electronics, the first working transistor was created at AT&T’s Bell Labs in 1947 by engineers John Bardeen and Walter Brattain.
The cell phone – USA, 1973
Most people these days would be lost without their mobile device. The first handheld mobile cell phone, a bona fide brick of a device, was invented by a team of Motorola engineers led by John F. Mitchell and Martin Cooper and unveiled in 1973.
The World Wide Web – Switzerland, 1989
While the internet was developed in the US during the late 60s, British computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee invented the first system for distributing information on the global network in 1989 at CERN in Switzerland, and named his creation the World Wide Web. The rest, is of course, history.