Inventions, DEM-GED
Without the efforts of famed inventors such as Thomas Edison, James Watt, Alexander Graham Bell, and the Wright brothers, our daily life today would look a lot different. Landmark inventions like the printing press, steam engine, telephone, incandescent light bulb, and airplane heralded new stages of progress in technology and spurred further innovation.
Inventions Encyclopedia Articles By Title
Dempster, Arthur Jeffrey
Arthur Jeffrey Dempster was an American physicist who built the first mass spectrometer, a device used to separate......
Dennard, Robert H.
Robert H. Dennard was an American engineer credited with the invention of the one-transistor cell for dynamic random-access......
Denner, Johann Christoph
Johann Christoph Denner was a German maker of musical instruments and the inventor of the clarinet. Denner’s father,......
Dent, Edward John
Edward John Dent was an Englishman noted for his design and construction of fine and historically important precision......
Deringer, Henry
Henry Deringer was an American gunsmith who was the inventor of the Derringer pistol. He was the son of Henry Deringer,......
Deslandres, Henri-Alexandre
Henri-Alexandre Deslandres was a French physicist and astrophysicist who in 1894 invented a spectroheliograph,......
Deville, Édouard Gaston
Édouard Gaston Deville was a French-born Canadian surveyor of Canadian lands (1875–1924) who perfected the first......
Dewar, Sir James
Sir James Dewar was a British chemist and physicist whose study of low-temperature phenomena entailed the use of......
Diesel, Rudolf
Rudolf Diesel was a German thermal engineer who invented the internal-combustion engine that bears his name. He......
Dines, William Henry
William Henry Dines was a British meteorologist who invented instruments to measure atmospheric properties. The......
Divini, Eustachio
Eustachio Divini was an Italian scientist, one of the first to develop the technology necessary for producing scientific......
Dixon, Joseph
Joseph Dixon was an American inventor and manufacturer who pioneered in the industrial use of graphite. Originally......
Dollond, George
George Dollond was a British optician who invented a number of precision instruments used in astronomy, geodesy,......
Dollond, John
John Dollond was a British maker of optical and astronomical instruments who developed an achromatic (non-colour-distorting)......
Dollond, Peter
Peter Dollond was a British optician who, though lacking a theoretical background, invented the triple achromatic......
Domagk, Gerhard
Gerhard Domagk was a German bacteriologist and pathologist who was awarded the 1939 Nobel Prize for Physiology......
Donkin, Bryan
Bryan Donkin was the developer of a commercial application of the so-called Fourdrinier machine for making paper......
Dornberger, Walter Robert
Walter Robert Dornberger was an engineer who directed construction of the German V-2 rocket during World War II.......
Douglas, James
James Douglas was a Canadian-born U.S. mining engineer, industrialist, and philanthropist who contributed greatly......
Dow, Herbert H.
Herbert H. Dow was a pioneer in the American chemical industry and founder of the Dow Chemical Company. Dow first......
Draper, Charles Stark
Charles Stark Draper was an American aeronautical engineer, educator, and science administrator. Draper’s laboratory......
Drebbel, Cornelis
Cornelis Drebbel was a Dutch inventor who built the first navigable submarine. An engraver and glassworker in Holland,......
Dreyse, Nikolaus von
Nikolaus von Dreyse was a German firearms inventor and manufacturer. The son of a locksmith, Dreyse worked from......
Dubochet, Jacques
Jacques Dubochet is a Swiss biophysicist who succeeded in vitrifying water around biomolecules, thereby preventing......
Ducos du Hauron, Louis
Louis Ducos du Hauron was a French physicist and inventor who in 1869 developed the so-called trichrome process......
DuMont, Allen B.
Allen B. DuMont was an American engineer who perfected the first commercially practical cathode-ray tube, which......
Dunlop, John Boyd
John Boyd Dunlop was an inventor who developed the pneumatic rubber tire. In 1867 he settled in Belfast as a veterinary......
Dyson, James
James Dyson is a British inventor, industrial designer, and entrepreneur who successfully manufactured innovative......
Eads, James B.
James B. Eads was an American engineer best known for his triple-arch steel bridge over the Mississippi River at......
Earnshaw, Thomas
Thomas Earnshaw was an English watchmaker, the first to simplify and economize in producing chronometers so as......
Eastman, George
George Eastman was an American entrepreneur and inventor whose introduction of the first Kodak camera helped to......
Eckener, Hugo
Hugo Eckener was a German aeronautical engineer and commander of the first lighter-than-air aircraft to fly around......
Eckert, J. Presper
J. Presper Eckert was an American engineer and co-inventor of the first general-purpose electronic computer, a......
Edgerton, Harold
Harold Edgerton was an American electrical engineer and photographer who was noted for creating high-speed photography......
Edgeworth, Richard Lovell
Richard Lovell Edgeworth was an Anglo-Irish inventor and educationalist who had a dominant influence on the novels......
Edison, Thomas
Thomas Edison was an American inventor who, singly or jointly, held a world-record 1,093 patents. In addition,......
Einthoven, Willem
Willem Einthoven was a Dutch physiologist who was awarded the 1924 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for his......
Ekman, V. Walfrid
V. Walfrid Ekman was a Swedish physical oceanographer best known for his studies of the dynamics of ocean currents.......
Elder, John
John Elder was a Scottish marine engineer whose introduction of the compound steam engine on ships cut fuel consumption......
Elmen, Gustav Waldemar
Gustav Waldemar Elmen was an American electrical engineer and metallurgist who developed permalloys, metallic alloys......
Energia
Energia, Russian aerospace company that is a major producer of spacecraft, launch vehicles, rocket stages, and......
Engelbart, Douglas
Douglas Engelbart was an American inventor whose work beginning in the 1950s led to his patent for the computer......
Ericsson, John
John Ericsson was a Swedish-born American naval engineer and inventor who built the first armoured turret warship......
Esaki, Leo
Leo Esaki is a Japanese solid-state physicist and researcher in superconductivity who shared the Nobel Prize for......
Esnault-Pelterie, Robert
Robert Esnault-Pelterie was a French aviation pioneer who made important contributions to the beginnings of heavier-than-air......
Essen, Louis
Louis Essen was an English physicist who invented the quartz crystal ring clock and the first practical atomic......
Eureka
Eureka, cooperative organization inaugurated in 1985 by 18 European countries and formally established with a secretariat......
European Atomic Energy Community
European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom), international organization established by one of the Treaties of Rome......
Evans, Oliver
Oliver Evans was an American inventor who pioneered the high-pressure steam engine (U.S. patent, 1790) and created......
Everyday Stuff Developed by NASA
Over the decades the American space program has put 12 men on the moon, landed rovers on Mars, and sent numerous......
Evinrude, Ole
Ole Evinrude was a Norwegian-American inventor of the first commercially successful outboard marine internal-combustion......
Exxon Corporation
Exxon was an American oil and natural resources company that merged with Mobil Corporation in 1999 to form Exxon......
Eyth, Max
Max Eyth was an engineer, inventor, and a pioneer in the mechanization of agriculture. His expert knowledge of......
Eötvös, Roland, baron von
Roland, baron von Eötvös was a Hungarian physicist who introduced the concept of molecular surface tension. His......
Faget, Max
Max Faget was an American aerospace engineer who made major contributions to the design of the Mercury, Gemini,......
Fahrenheit, Daniel Gabriel
Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit was a Polish-born Dutch physicist and maker of scientific instruments. He is best known......
Fairbairn, William
William Fairbairn was a Scottish civil engineer and inventor who did pioneering work in bridge design and in testing......
Farman, Henri
Henri Farman was a French aviation pioneer and aircraft builder who popularized the use of ailerons, moveable surfaces......
Farnsworth, Philo
Philo Farnsworth was an American inventor who developed the first all-electronic television system. Farnsworth......
Fender, Leo
Leo Fender was an American inventor and manufacturer of electronic musical instruments. Together with George Fullerton,......
Feoktistov, Konstantin
Konstantin Feoktistov was a Russian spacecraft designer and cosmonaut who took part, with Vladimir M. Komarov and......
Ferguson, Harry George
Harry George Ferguson was a British industrialist who designed and manufactured agricultural machines, notably......
Ferguson, Patrick
Patrick Ferguson was a British soldier, marksman, and inventor of the Ferguson flintlock rifle. Ferguson served......
Ferranti, Sebastian Ziani de
Sebastian Ziani de Ferranti was a British electrical engineer who promoted the installation of large electrical......
Ferraris, Galileo
Galileo Ferraris was an Italian physicist who established the basic principle of the induction motor, which is......
Ferrié, Gustave-Auguste
Gustave-Auguste Ferrié was a French scientist and army general who contributed to the development of radio communication......
Fessenden, Reginald Aubrey
Reginald Aubrey Fessenden was a Canadian radio pioneer who on Christmas Eve in 1906 broadcast the first program......
FFRDC
FFRDC, any of approximately 40 organizations that assist the U.S. government with scientific research and analysis,......
Fink, Albert
Albert Fink was a German-born American railroad engineer and executive who was the first to investigate the economics......
Fleming, Sir Arthur Percy Morris
Sir Arthur Percy Morris Fleming was an English engineer who was a major figure in developing techniques for manufacturing......
Fleming, Sir John Ambrose
Sir John Ambrose Fleming was an English engineer who made numerous contributions to electronics, photometry, electric......
Flettner, Anton
Anton Flettner was a German inventor of the rotor ship, a vessel propelled by revolving cylinders mounted vertically......
Florey, Howard Walter Florey, Baron
Howard Walter Florey, Baron Florey was an Australian pathologist who, with Ernst Boris Chain, isolated and purified......
Fontaine, Hippolyte
Hippolyte Fontaine was a French engineer who discovered that a dynamo can be operated in reverse as an electric......
Ford, Henry
Henry Ford was an American industrialist who revolutionized factory production with his assembly-line methods.......
Forrester, Jay Wright
Jay Wright Forrester was an American electrical engineer and management expert who invented the random-access magnetic......
Forsyth, Alexander John
Alexander John Forsyth was a Scottish Presbyterian minister and inventor who between 1805 and 1807 produced a percussion......
Fourneyron, Benoît
Benoît Fourneyron was a French inventor of the water turbine. The son of a mathematician, he graduated in the first......
Fowler, John
John Fowler was an English engineer who helped to develop the steam-hauled plow. He began his career in the grain......
France, Collège de
Collège de France, state-supported research institution and centre for adult education in Paris. Founded in 1530......
Francis, James Bicheno
James Bicheno Francis was a British-American hydraulic engineer and inventor of the mixed-flow, or Francis, turbine......
Francis, Thomas, Jr.
Thomas Francis, Jr. was an American microbiologist and epidemiologist who isolated the viruses responsible for......
François, Jean-Charles
Jean-Charles François was a French etcher and engraver who was one of the inventors of the crayon method in engraving—a......
Frawley, Patrick Joseph, Jr.
Patrick Joseph Frawley, Jr. was a Nicaraguan-born American corporate executive responsible for the success of the......
Fresnel, Augustin-Jean
Augustin-Jean Fresnel was a French physicist who pioneered in optics and did much to establish the wave theory......
Freyssinet, Eugène
Eugène Freyssinet was a French civil engineer who successfully developed pre-stressed concrete—i.e., concrete beams......
Friese-Greene, William
William Friese-Greene was a British photographer and inventor, sometimes credited with the invention of cinematography.......
Froude, William
William Froude was an English engineer and naval architect who influenced ship design by developing a method of......
Fuller, R. Buckminster
R. Buckminster Fuller was an American engineer, architect, and futurist who developed the geodesic dome—the only......
Fulton, Robert
Robert Fulton was an American inventor, engineer, and artist who brought steamboating from the experimental stage......
Gabor, Dennis
Dennis Gabor was a Hungarian-born electrical engineer who won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1971 for his invention......
Gal, Uziel
Uziel Gal was an Israeli army officer and inventor who designed the Uzi submachine gun, a compact automatic weapon......
Galileo
Galileo was an Italian natural philosopher, astronomer, and mathematician who made fundamental contributions to......
Garand, John C.
John C. Garand was a Canadian-born U.S. firearms engineer, inventor of the M1 semiautomatic rifle, with which U.S.......
García, Manuel
Manuel García was the most renowned European teacher of singing in the 19th century. The son of the celebrated......
Garnerin, André-Jacques
André-Jacques Garnerin was a French aeronaut, the first person to use a parachute regularly and successfully. He......
Gatling, Richard Jordan
Richard Jordan Gatling was an American inventor best known for his invention of the Gatling gun, a crank-operated,......
Gauss, Carl Friedrich
Carl Friedrich Gauss was a German mathematician, generally regarded as one of the greatest mathematicians of all......
Gavin, James Maurice
James Maurice Gavin was a U.S. Army commander known as “the jumping general” because he parachuted with combat......
Ged, William
William Ged was a Scottish goldsmith who invented (1725) stereotyping, a process in which a whole page of type......