James Watt's efficient steam engine (1765)
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.
William Murdock's cool thing he did (1792)
Lit his home using coal gas. Also, he was James Watt's assistant.
Daguerre's daguerrotype (1838)
Early form of photography
Samuel F. B. Morse's telegraph and Morse Code (1837)
This would allow for long-distance communication
Invented the incandescent lamp. Though he was, in general, prone to rude tendencies.
Cartwright's power loom (1787)
According to wikipedia:
Richard Arkwright's water frame (1769)
More efficient thread spinning
Jethro Tull (1708)'s mechanical seed drill
Helped plant crops
First high explosive that could be safely handled. Useful for mining and clearing areas for infrastructure.
Alexander Graham Bell's telephone (1876)
Large suspension bridge, "triumph of engineering."
Joseph Monier (1849)
Reinforced Concrete
James Brindley (1761)'s Bridgewater Canal
Allowed for barges to carry coal from Worsely to Manchester
Henry Bessemir's steel converter (1854)
Revolutionized the production of steel
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)
Karl Benz's internal-combustion automobile engine (1885)
cars go vroom
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.
First steam-powered mill (1779)
Automated thread spinning
Hiram Maxim's machine gun (1884)
Cathode rays discovered
Eli Whitney (1793)'s cotton gin
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.
Gugliemo Marconi (1901) transatlantic radio message
John Kay (1733)'s flying shuttle
Tremendously helped with making weaving easier, used in the putting-out industry at first.
Gasoline refinement
Charles Babbage (1834)'s analytic engine
First ancestor of the computer
Marc Brunel's first underwater tunnel (1826-1842)
Under the Thames
Michael Faraday (1831)'s discovery of electromagnetic currents
Made generators and electrical engines possible
First transatlantic cable completed
Gugliemo Marconi (1896)'s wireless telegraph patent
