Thomas Edison (1879)
Invented the incandescent lamp. Though he was, in general, prone to rude tendencies.
cars go vroom
Richard Arkwright's water frame (1769)
More efficient thread spinning
Singer's first practical sewing machine (1851)
Allowed for more sewing, including at-home
Like fifty years later, they finally came out with a steam engine with a condensing chamber, making it more efficient. Also a pretty big deal.
Gugliemo Marconi (1901) transatlantic radio message
From Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
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)
Jethro Tull (1708)'s mechanical seed drill
Helped plant crops
Gasoline refinement
First occurred in 1850. Gasoline is an important fuel source.
James Brindley (1761)'s Bridgewater Canal
Allowed for barges to carry coal from Worsely to Manchester
James Hargreaves (1765)'s spinning jenny
Automated thread spinning
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.
Alfred Nobel's dynamite (1867)
First high explosive that could be safely handled. Useful for mining and clearing areas for infrastructure.
Charles Babbage (1834)'s analytic engine
First ancestor of the computer
Cartwright's power loom (1787)
According to wikipedia:
This separated the useful raw cotton from its seeds, making the cotton industry much more profitable. It had mixed effects — remember how a lot of cotton was farmed using slave labor.
Eiffel Tower (1889)
Useful for, like, ship distress calls. Say, for example, the one the Titanic sent out.
Cathode rays discovered
1858
First steam-powered mill (1779)
Alexander Graham Bell's telephone (1876)
Made communicating across long distances much easier, but such conversations still had to be done in public, etc.,
Marc Brunel's first underwater tunnel (1826-1842)
Under the Thames
Joseph Monier (1849)
Reinforced Concrete
First skyscraper (10 stories tall) (in Chicago)
1883
This is a record player. Useful for music, instructions, etc.,
Lit his home using coal gas. Also, he was James Watt's assistant.
First transatlantic cable completed
1858
Tremendously helped with making weaving easier, used in the putting-out industry at first.
Henry Bessemir's steel converter (1854)
Brooklyn Bridge opened (1883)
Large suspension bridge, "triumph of engineering."
