Thomas Edison (1879)
Invented the incandescent lamp. Though he was, in general, prone to rude tendencies.
Richard Arkwright's water frame (1769)
Robert Fulton (1807)'s Clermont
Cathode rays discovered
1858
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.
James Hargreaves (1765)'s spinning jenny
Automated thread spinning
This is a record player. Useful for music, instructions, etc.,
Joseph Monier (1849)
Reinforced Concrete
First skyscraper (10 stories tall) (in Chicago)
1883
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)
Gasoline refinement
First occurred in 1850. Gasoline is an important fuel source.
Made communicating across long distances much easier, but such conversations still had to be done in public, etc.,
First transatlantic cable completed
1858
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 generators and electrical engines possible
Brooklyn Bridge opened (1883)
Large suspension bridge, "triumph of engineering."
Alfred Nobel's dynamite (1867)
First high explosive that could be safely handled. Useful for mining and clearing areas for infrastructure.
Under the Thames
James Brindley (1761)'s Bridgewater Canal
Allowed for barges to carry coal from Worsely to Manchester
Cartwright's power loom (1787)
According to wikipedia:
Tremendously helped with making weaving easier, used in the putting-out industry at first.
Daguerre's daguerrotype (1838)
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.
Eiffel Tower (1889)
For the World Exposition in Paris
Charles Babbage (1834)'s analytic engine
First ancestor of the computer
Singer's first practical sewing machine (1851)
Allowed for more sewing, including at-home
Gugliemo Marconi (1901) transatlantic radio message
From Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
Gugliemo Marconi (1896)'s wireless telegraph patent
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.
First steam-powered mill (1779)
Crompton's "mule" + Spinning jenny and water frame fully automated weaving process. Yeah.
