Octave Chanute (February 18, 1832 – November 23, 1910) was a French-American civil engineer and aviation pioneer. He advised and helped promote many aviation enthusiasts, including the Wright brothers. At his death, he was called the father of aviation and the first person to develop the early ideas for a heavier-than-air flying machine.
Alphonse Pénaud (French pronunciation: [alfɔ̃s peno]; 31 May 1850 – 22 October 1880) was a French inventor and engineer who worked on early airplane designs in the 1800s. He was the first to use twisted rubber to power model airplanes, and his 1871 model airplane, called the Planophore, was the first to stay in the air without help. He later designed a full-sized airplane with many new features, but he could not find support for his project.
Baptiste Jules Henri Jacques Giffard (8 February 1825 – 14 April 1882) was a French engineer. In 1852, he invented the steam injector and the powered Giffard dirigible airship.
Nicolas Léonard Sadi Carnot (French: [nikɔla leɔnaʁ sadi kaʁno]; 1 June 1796 – 24 August 1832) was a French military engineer and physicist. He graduated from the École polytechnique and worked as an officer in the Engineering Arm (le génie) of the French Army. He also studied science and published an essay in June 1824 titled Reflections on the Motive Power of Fire.
Lazare Nicolas Marguerite, Count Carnot (French: [lazaʁ nikɔla maʁɡəʁit kaʁno]; 13 May 1753 – 2 August 1823) was a French mathematician, physicist, military officer, politician, and a key member of the Committee of Public Safety during the French Revolution. His military reforms, including the introduction of mass conscription (levée en masse), helped transform the French Revolutionary Army into a strong and effective fighting force. Carnot was elected to the National Convention in 1792.
Jean Léonard Marie Poiseuille (22 April 1797 – 26 December 1869) was a French physicist and physiologist.
Jean Bernard Léon Foucault was a French physicist born on September 18, 1819, and died on February 11, 1868. He invented the Foucault pendulum, a tool that shows how the Earth rotates. He also measured the speed of light early in his career.
Gabriel Lippmann (pronounced LIP-muhn; August 16, 1845 – July 12, 1921) was a French scientist who worked on practical physics problems. He won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1908 for creating the Lippmann plate, a way to make color images using photographs based on how light waves interact.
Gustave Pierre Trouvé was born on January 2, 1839, and died on July 27, 1902. He was a French electrical engineer and inventor who lived during the 19th century. He was known for his ability to create very small devices and was recognized as an expert in many areas of science and technology.
Zénobe Théophile Gramme (French pronunciation: [zenɔb teɔfil ɡʁam]; 4 April 1826 – 20 January 1901) was a Belgian electrical engineer. He was born on 4 April 1826 in Jehay-Bodegnée and was the sixth child in his family. He passed away on 20 January 1901 in Bois-Colombes.