A List of Famous Inventions and Inventors

A list of a variety of famous inventions in history, the invention, inventor and date or year invented listed.

Bolts from the Blue: Great Inventions in History

THE INVENTION: Microscope (c. 1590)

THE INVENTOR: Zacharias Janssen, Neth., and/ or Galileo Galilei, Italy

THE INVENTION: Steam Engine (1698 and on)

THE INVENTORS: Thomas Savery, G.B.; Thomas Newcomen, G.B.; James Watt, G.B.

THE INVENTION: Steamboat (1787 and on)

THE INVENTORS: James Rumsey, U.S.; John Fitch, U.S.; John Stevens, U.S.; Robert Fulton, U.S.; et al.

THE INVENTION: Sewing Machine (1790 and on)

THE INVENTORS: Thomas Saint, G.B.; Barthelemy Thimonnier, France; Walter Hunt, U.S.; Elias Howe, U.S.; A. B. Wilson U.S.; Isaac M. Singer, U.S.

THE INVENTION: Electric Battery (1800)

THE INVENTOR: Alessandro Volta, Italy

THE INVENTION: Electric Light (1810 and on)

THE INVENTORS: Sir Humphry Davy, G.B. Thomas Edison, U.S.; et al.

THE INVENTION: Portland Cement (1824)

THE INVENTOR: Joseph Aspdin, G.B.

THE INVENTION: Reaper (1831)

THE INVENTOR: Cyrus H. McCormick, U.S.

THE INVENTION: Electric Generator (1831)

THE INVENTOR: Michael Faraday, G.B.

THE INVENTION: Electromagnetic Telegraph (1837)

THE INVENTOR: Samuel F. B. Morse, U.S.

THE INVENTION: Transatlantic Cable (1866)

THE INVENTOR: Cyrus W. Field, U.S.

THE INVENTION: Typewriter (1867)

THE INVENTOR: Christopher Sholes, U.S.

Besides Mark Twain, other early owners of the typewriter were Henry James and Dr. Sigmund Freud.

THE INVENTION: Telephone (1876)

THE INVENTOR: Alexander Graham Bell, U.S.

THE INVENTION: Kodak Camera (1888)

THE INVENTOR: George Eastman, U.S.

THE INVENTION: Wireless Telegraphy (1896)

THE INVENTOR: Guglielmo Marconi, Italy

THE INVENTION: Dirigible (1900)

THE INVENTOR: Ferdinand von Zeppelin, Ger.

THE INVENTION: Radio Tube (1904)

THE INVENTORS: Sir John A. Fleming, G.B.; Lee De Forest, U.S.; Edwin H. Armstrong, U.S.

THE INVENTION: Television (1920 and on)

THE INVENTORS: Vladimir K. Zworykin, Russia and U.S.; Philo T. Farnsworth, U.S.

THE INVENTION: Autogyro (1923)

THE INVENTOR: Juan de la Cierva, Spain

THE INVENTION: Turbojet Engine (1930)

THE INVENTOR: Sir Frank Whittle, G.B.

THE INVENTION: Radar (1935-1940)

THE INVENTORS: Sir Robert Watson-Watt, G.B.; et al.

THE INVENTION: Xerox (1937)

THE INVENTOR: Chester Carlson, U.S.

THE INVENTION: Nylon (1938)

THE INVENTOR: Dr. Wallace H. Carothers, U.S.

THE INVENTION: The Transistor (1947)

THE INVENTORS: John Bardeen, U.S.; Walter Brattain, U.S.; William Shockley, U.S.