Thomas Edison (1879)
First steam-powered mill (1779)
Jethro Tull (1708)'s mechanical seed drill
Helped plant crops
Michael Faraday (1831)'s discovery of electromagnetic currents
Made generators and electrical engines possible
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.
Henry Bessemir's steel converter (1854)
Revolutionized the production of steel
Lit his home using coal gas. Also, he was James Watt's assistant.
Eiffel Tower (1889)
For the World Exposition in Paris
Cartwright's power loom (1787)
According to wikipedia:
Alfred Nobel's dynamite (1867)
First high explosive that could be safely handled. Useful for mining and clearing areas for infrastructure.
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)
From Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
Charles Babbage (1834)'s analytic engine
First ancestor of the computer
Under the Thames
Tremendously helped with making weaving easier, used in the putting-out industry at first.
Hiram Maxim's machine gun (1884)
First occurred in 1850. Gasoline is an important fuel source.
First skyscraper (10 stories tall) (in Chicago)
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.
Joseph Monier (1849)
Brooklyn Bridge opened (1883)
Large suspension bridge, "triumph of engineering."
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.
Gugliemo Marconi (1896)'s wireless telegraph patent
Samuel F. B. Morse's telegraph and Morse Code (1837)
James Brindley (1761)'s Bridgewater Canal
Allowed for barges to carry coal from Worsely to Manchester
First transatlantic cable completed
1858
More efficient thread spinning
Liverpool and Manchester Railway (1830)
Began the first regular commercial rail service
