William Murdock's cool thing he did (1792)
Lit his home using coal gas. Also, he was James Watt's assistant.
First transatlantic cable completed
1858
Gugliemo Marconi (1901) transatlantic radio message
From Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
Karl Benz's internal-combustion automobile engine (1885)
Gugliemo Marconi (1896)'s wireless telegraph patent
Useful for, like, ship distress calls. Say, for example, the one the Titanic sent out.
Thomas Alva Edison's phonograph (1877)
This is a record player. Useful for music, instructions, etc.,
Michael Faraday (1831)'s discovery of electromagnetic currents
Made generators and electrical engines possible
Large suspension bridge, "triumph of engineering."
Richard Arkwright's water frame (1769)
More efficient thread spinning
Began the first regular commercial rail service
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.
Crompton's "mule" + Spinning jenny and water frame fully automated weaving process. Yeah.
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
Eiffel Tower (1889)
First skyscraper (10 stories tall) (in Chicago)
1883
John Kay (1733)'s flying shuttle
This would allow for long-distance communication
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.
Allowed for more sewing, including at-home
Allowed for barges to carry coal from Worsely to Manchester
Daguerre's daguerrotype (1838)
Early form of photography
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.
Under the Thames
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.
Joseph Monier (1849)
Reinforced Concrete
Thomas Edison (1879)
Invented the incandescent lamp. Though he was, in general, prone to rude tendencies.
Revolutionized the production of steel
Gasoline refinement
1858
