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 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.
Karl Benz's internal-combustion automobile engine (1885)
Marc Brunel's first underwater tunnel (1826-1842)
Under the Thames
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.
Alfred Nobel's dynamite (1867)
First high explosive that could be safely handled. Useful for mining and clearing areas for infrastructure.
From Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
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)
This is a record player. Useful for music, instructions, etc.,
Large suspension bridge, "triumph of engineering."
Samuel F. B. Morse's telegraph and Morse Code (1837)
This would allow for long-distance communication
Michael Faraday (1831)'s discovery of electromagnetic currents
Made communicating across long distances much easier, but such conversations still had to be done in public, etc.,
James Brindley (1761)'s Bridgewater Canal
Joseph Monier (1849)
Reinforced Concrete
Thomas Edison (1879)
Invented the incandescent lamp. Though he was, in general, prone to rude tendencies.
Eiffel Tower (1889)
For the World Exposition in Paris
Charles Babbage (1834)'s analytic engine
First ancestor of the computer
Daguerre's daguerrotype (1838)
Liverpool and Manchester Railway (1830)
Began the first regular commercial rail service
Gugliemo Marconi (1896)'s wireless telegraph patent
First skyscraper (10 stories tall) (in Chicago)
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.
James Hargreaves (1765)'s spinning jenny
Automated thread spinning
First steam-powered mill (1779)
Crompton's "mule" + Spinning jenny and water frame fully automated weaving process. Yeah.
Henry Bessemir's steel converter (1854)
Revolutionized the production of steel
Cathode rays discovered
1858
Richard Arkwright's water frame (1769)
More efficient thread spinning
First transatlantic cable completed
1858
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.
