Thomas Edison (1879)
Invented the incandescent lamp. Though he was, in general, prone to rude tendencies.
Joseph Monier (1849)
Alexander Graham Bell's telephone (1876)
Made communicating across long distances much easier, but such conversations still had to be done in public, etc.,
Charles Babbage (1834)'s analytic engine
First ancestor of the computer
James Watt's efficient steam engine (1765)
Jethro Tull (1708)'s mechanical seed drill
Helped plant crops
First transatlantic cable completed
1858
Gasoline refinement
Thomas Alva Edison's phonograph (1877)
Eli Whitney (1793)'s cotton gin
James Brindley (1761)'s Bridgewater Canal
Allowed for barges to carry coal from Worsely to Manchester
Karl Benz's internal-combustion automobile engine (1885)
cars go vroom
Liverpool and Manchester Railway (1830)
Began the first regular commercial rail service
Eiffel Tower (1889)
For the World Exposition in Paris
First high explosive that could be safely handled. Useful for mining and clearing areas for infrastructure.
Daguerre's daguerrotype (1838)
First skyscraper (10 stories tall) (in Chicago)
1883
Hiram Maxim's machine gun (1884)
Mass slaughter is now possible, begins mechanization of warfare. Unfortunately, as some predicted, his machine gun did not prevent war — people still fought, despite these monsters being on the battlefield.
Thomas Newcomen (1712)'s steam engine
First commercially successful (though kind of clumsy) steam engine, used to pump water out of coal mines. Big deal, since we've just unlocked a new power source.
Robert Trevithick (1801)'s steam locomotive demonstration
George Stephenson's Rocket, 1829, would lead to great railroad infrastructure, which helped with city planning, made moving to the city easier, and made trade and large-scale commerce much better. For example, now placing factories in population centers made more sense. (I barely understand why myself, but okay)
Robert Fulton (1807)'s Clermont
The first successful steamboat. Like the locomotive, made trade so, so much better. For example, now the US could leverage its advantage in having the Mississippi river.
1858
From Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
Gugliemo Marconi (1896)'s wireless telegraph patent
Useful for, like, ship distress calls. Say, for example, the one the Titanic sent out.
Henry Bessemir's steel converter (1854)
Revolutionized the production of steel
James Hargreaves (1765)'s spinning jenny
Automated thread spinning
Made generators and electrical engines possible
First steam-powered mill (1779)
Richard Arkwright's water frame (1769)
More efficient thread spinning
Allowed for more sewing, including at-home
