Henry Cort (around 1740 – May 23, 1800) was an English ironware maker who previously worked as a Navy pay agent. During the Industrial Revolution in England, Cort developed new methods to change pig iron into wrought iron (or bar iron). In 1784, he received a patent for a better version of Peter Onions’s puddling process, which was used to refine cast iron.
Benjamin Franklin was born on January 17, 1706 (Old Style January 6, 1705) and died on April 17, 1790. He was an American polymath, meaning he had many talents and worked as a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher, and political philosopher. Franklin was one of the most important thinkers of his time and helped create the United States.
James Watt FRS FRSE (born January 30, 1736 – died August 25, 1819) was a Scottish inventor, engineer, and chemist. He improved Thomas Newcomen’s steam engine, creating the Watt steam engine in 1776. This invention was important for the Industrial Revolution in Great Britain and around the world.
Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit FRS (24 May 1686 – 16 September 1736) was a physicist, inventor, and maker of scientific tools. He was born in Poland to a family of German origin, although he lived most of his life in the Dutch Republic. Fahrenheit improved the design and production of thermometers; his thermometers were so accurate and consistent that different people could compare temperature measurements reliably.
Thomas Savery (pronounced “say-vuh-ree”; about 1650 – May 15, 1715) was an English inventor and engineer. He created the first steam-powered device used in business, a steam pump known as the “Savery engine.” Savery’s steam pump was a new and important way to pump water, which helped improve mine drainage and made it possible to provide water to many people.
Denis Papin FRS (French pronunciation: [dəni papɛ̃]; 22 August 1647 – 26 August 1713) was a French Huguenot scientist, mathematician, and inventor. He is most famous for creating the steam digester, an early version of the pressure cooker, steam engine, centrifugal pump, and a submersible boat. He began his career in France before moving to London in 1675.
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (also spelled Leibnitz; born July 1, 1646 [Old Style: June 21] – died November 14, 1716) was a German scholar who worked as a mathematician, philosopher, scientist, and diplomat. He is known, along with Isaac Newton, for developing calculus, as well as other areas of mathematics, such as binary arithmetic and statistics. Leibniz was called the “last universal genius” because he had knowledge in many fields, which became less common after the Industrial Revolution and the rise of specialized jobs.
Robert Hooke FRS (pronounced /hʊk/; July 18, 1635–March 3, 1703) was an English expert in many areas, including physics, astronomy, geology, meteorology, and architecture. He was one of the first scientists to study living things using a microscope he designed in 1665. As a young adult, Hooke was a poor scientist who later became one of the most important scientists of his time.
Christiaan Huygens, Lord of Zeelhem, was a Dutch scientist born on April 14, 1629, and died on July 8, 1695. He was a mathematician, physicist, engineer, astronomer, and inventor who played an important role in the Scientific Revolution. In physics, Huygens made important contributions to the study of light and motion.
Cornelis Jacobszoon Drebbel was a Dutch engineer and inventor who lived from 1572 to November 7, 1633. He built the first working submarine in 1620. He also helped create tools for measuring and controlling things, improved lenses for glasses and telescopes, and made discoveries in the study of chemicals.