Technical invention in the 19th century. The most important technical inventions of the 19th century

The Industrial Revolution—an innovative period of the mid-18th and 19th centuries—transferred people from a predominantly agrarian existence to a relatively urban lifestyle. And although we call this era "revolution", its name is somewhat misleading. This movement, which originated in the UK, was not a sudden explosion of achievement, but a series of successive breakthroughs that built on or fed off one another.


Spinning wheel "Jenny"

Whether it's socks or any of the fashionable items of clothing, it was the advances in the textile industry during the industrial revolution that made these things possible for the masses.

The Jenny spinning wheel, or Hargreaves spinning machine, contributed greatly to the development of this process. After the raw materials - cotton or wool - are collected, they need to be made into yarn, and often this work is very painstaking for people.

James Hargreaves solved this issue. Taking on a challenge from Britain's Royal Society of Arts, Hargreaves designed a device that far exceeded the competition's requirement to weave at least six yarns at a time. Hargreaves built a machine that gave out eight streams simultaneously, which dramatically increased the efficiency of this activity.

The device consisted of a spinning wheel that controlled the flow of material. At one end of the device was a rotating material, and at the other the threads were collected into yarn from under the hand wheel.

Conservation

Open the kitchen cabinet and you will definitely find at least one useful invention of the industrial revolution. The same period that gave us the steam engine changed the way we store food.

After the spread of Great Britain to other parts of the world, inventions began to fuel the Industrial Revolution at a constant rate. For example, such a case occurred with a French chef and innovator named Nicolas Appert. Looking for ways to preserve food without losing flavor or freshness, Apper regularly experimented with containerized food storage. In the end, he came to the conclusion that the storage of food, coupled with drying or salt, does not lead to an improvement in palatability, but quite the opposite.

Upper thought that storing food in containers would be especially helpful for seafarers suffering from malnutrition at sea. The Frenchman worked on a boiling technique that involved placing food in a jar, sealing it, and then boiling it in water to create a vacuum seal. Apper achieved his goal by developing a special canning autoclave in the early 1800s. The basic concept has survived to this day.

Photo

Many world-changing inventions emerged during the Industrial Revolution. The camera was not one of them. In fact, the forerunner of the camera, known as the camera obscura, dates back to the late 1500s.

However, saving camera shots was a problem for a long time, especially if you didn't have time to draw them. Then came Nicephore Niepce. In the 1820s, a Frenchman came up with the idea of ​​overlaying coated paper filled with light-sensitive chemicals onto an image projected by a camera obscura. Eight hours later, the world's first photograph appeared.

Realizing that eight hours was too long to pose for a family portrait, Niepce joined forces with Louis Daguerre to improve his design, and it was Daguerre who continued Niepce's work after his death in 1833. The so-called daggerotype first aroused enthusiasm in the French Parliament, and then throughout the world. However, although the daguerreotype could produce very detailed images, they could not be replicated.

Daguerre's contemporary, William Henry Fox Talbot, also worked to improve photographic images in the 1830s and made the first negative through which light could shine on photographic paper and create a positive. Similar advances began to quickly find a place, and gradually the cameras were able to even capture moving objects, and the exposure time was reduced. A photo of a horse taken in 1877 put an end to the long-standing debate about whether all four of a horse's legs are off the ground during a gallop (yes). So the next time you take out your smartphone to take a picture, think for a second about the centuries of innovation that made that picture possible.

Roads and mines

Creating the infrastructure to support the Industrial Revolution was not easy. The demand for metals, including iron, spurred the industry to come up with more efficient methods of extracting and transporting raw materials.

For several decades, iron companies have been supplying large quantities of iron to factories and manufacturing companies. To obtain cheap metal, mining companies supplied more cast iron than wrought iron. In addition, people began to use metallurgy or simply to study the physical properties of materials in an industrial setting.

The massive mining of iron allowed other inventions of the Industrial Revolution to be mechanized. Without the metallurgical industry, railroads and steam locomotives would not have developed, and stagnation could occur in the development of transport and other industries.

Difference and Analytical Engines

For many of us, the phrase "put your calculators aside for the exam" will always cause anxiety, but such exams without calculators clearly demonstrate what Charles Babbage's life was like. The English inventor and mathematician was born in 1791, over time, his task was to study mathematical tables in search of errors. Such tables were typically used in astronomy, banking, and engineering, and because they were handwritten, they often contained errors. Babbage conceived the idea of ​​creating a calculator and eventually developed several models.

Of course, Babbage could not have modern computer components like transistors, so his computers were purely mechanical. They were surprisingly large, complex and difficult to build (none of Babbage's machines appeared during his lifetime). For example, Difference Engine "number one" could solve polynomials, but its design consisted of 25,000 separate parts with a total weight of 15 tons. Difference Engine "number two" was developed between 1847 and 1849 and was more elegant, along with comparable power and one third of the weight.

There was another construct that earned Babbage the title of father of modern computing, according to some people. In 1834, Babbage decided to create a machine that could be programmed. Like modern computers, Babbage's machine could store data for later use in other calculations and perform logical if-then operations. Babbage didn't do much with the design of the Analytical Engine, as he did with the Difference Engines, but to appreciate the grandeur of the former, one must know that it was so massive that it needed a steam engine to run.

Anesthesia

Inventions like the light bulb take up so many pages in the history book, but we're sure any practicing surgeon would call anesthesia the best product of the Industrial Revolution. Before its invention, the correction of any ailment was perhaps more painful than the ailment itself. One of the biggest problems associated with removing a tooth or limb was keeping the patient relaxed, often with the help of alcohol and opium. Today, of course, we can all thank anesthesia for the fact that few of us can remember the pain of surgery in general.

Nitrous oxide and ether were discovered in the early 1800s, but neither found much practical use other than useless intoxication. Nitrous oxide was generally better known as laughing gas and was used to entertain audiences. During one such demonstration, young dentist Horace Wells saw someone inhale gas and injure his leg. When the man returned to his seat, Wells asked if the victim had been hurt and was told no. After that, the dentist decided to use laughing gas in his work, and volunteered to be the first test subject himself. The next day, Wells and Gardner Colton, the show's organizer, had already tested laughing gas in Wells' office. The gas worked great.

Shortly thereafter, ether was also tested as an anesthetic for long-term operations, although who actually was behind the attraction of this remedy is not known for certain.

steam engine

James Watt, a Scottish engineer, did not develop a steam engine, but he managed to make a more efficient version of one in the 1760s by adding a separate condenser. This changed the mining industry forever.

Initially, some inventors used a steam engine to pump and remove water from mines, which gave improved access to resources. As these engines gained popularity, engineers wondered how they could be improved. Watt's version of the steam engine didn't need to be cooled after every blow that came with mining at the time.

Others wondered: what if, instead of transporting raw materials, goods and people on a horse, use a steam-powered car? These thoughts inspired inventors to explore the potential of steam engines outside of the mining world. Watt's modification of the steam engine led to other developments in the Industrial Revolution, including the first steam locomotives and steam-powered ships.

Telegraph

Through the electrical system of networks, the telegraph could transmit messages from one place to another over long distances. The recipient of the message had to interpret the markings produced by the machine in Morse code.

The first message was sent in 1844 by Samuel Morse, the inventor of the telegraph, and it accurately conveys his excitement. He transmitted "What is the Lord doing?" with his new system, hinting that he had discovered something big. And so it was. The Morse telegraph allowed people to communicate almost instantly over long distances.

Information transmitted via telegraph lines also greatly contributed to the development of the media and allowed governments to exchange information more quickly. The development of the telegraph even spawned the first news service, the Associated Press. After all, Morse's invention connected America to Europe - and it was very important at that time.

Pneumatic tire.

Like many inventions of this era, the pneumatic tire "stood on the shoulders of giants", entering a new wave of inventions. Thus, although John Dunlop is often credited with the invention of this important thing, before him, in 1839, Charles Goodyear patented the process of vulcanizing rubber.

Before Goodyear's experiments, rubber was a very new product with a relatively small range of applications, but this, due to its properties, changed very quickly. Vulcanization, in which rubber was hardened with sulfur and lead, created a stronger material suitable for the manufacturing process.

While rubber technology advanced rapidly, the other accompanying inventions of the Industrial Revolution developed much more slowly. Despite such advances as pedals and steerable wheels, bicycles remained more of a curiosity than a practical mode of transport for most of the 19th century, as they were bulky, their frames were heavy, and their wheels were rigid and difficult to maneuver.

Dunlop, a veterinarian by profession, noticed all these shortcomings when he watched his son struggle with the tricycle and decided to fix them. First he tried to wrap a garden hose in a ring and wrap it in liquid rubber. This option turned out to be significantly superior to existing tires made of leather and reinforced rubber. Very soon, Dunlop started making bicycle tires with the help of W. Edlin and Co., which later became the Dunlop Rubber Company. She quickly took over the market and greatly increased the production of bicycles. Shortly thereafter, Dunlop Rubber Company began manufacturing rubber tires for another product of the Industrial Revolution, the automobile.

Phonograph

Not so long ago, live performances were generally the only way to listen to music. Thomas Edison changed this forever by developing a method for transcribing telegraph messages, which led him to the idea of ​​the phonograph. The idea is simple but beautiful: a recording needle extrudes grooves corresponding to the sound waves of music or speech into a rotating tin-plated cylinder, and another needle reproduces the original sound based on these grooves.

In contrast to Babbage and his decades of trying to see his designs come to fruition, Edison had his mechanic, John Cruesi, build the machine, and within 30 hours had a working prototype in his hands. But Edison didn't stop there. His first tin cylinders could only play music a few times, so Edison later replaced the tin with wax. By that time, the Edison phonograph was no longer the only one on the market, and over time, people began to abandon the Edison cylinders. The basic mechanism has been preserved and is used to this day. Not bad for a random invention.

door closer

A door closer is a mechanical device designed to automatically close open doors.

Even in the ancient period, the prototype of the modern door closer appeared. Even then, they tried to close the doors with a stone tied to a rope. In the 19th century, a design similar to the modern swing door hinge appeared, this design made it possible to open the door in both directions and close it with the help of spring force.

In Soviet times, springs were widely used, which were installed on the door to close it.

The ubiquitous door closer today was developed by the American Baunt. The closer was mounted in the upper part of the door leaf, it acted with the help of a crank mechanism and a piston. Changing the closing speed was carried out by means of oil. Until now, many manufacturers use this principle of the door closer.

Introduction…………………………………………………………………………...2

1. Scientific and technical inventions of the late 19th and early 20th centuries…………………...3

2. Structural changes in industry…………………………………...7

3. The impact of scientific and technological progress on the world economy…………9

Conclusion………………………………………………………………………….11

List of used literature…………………………………………...12

Introduction

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the development of productive forces took place at a rapid pace. In this regard, the volume of world industrial production has increased significantly. These changes were accompanied by the rapid development of technology, the innovations of which covered various areas of production, transport and everyday life. Significant changes have also taken place in the technology of organizing industrial production. During this period, many completely new industries emerged that did not exist before. There have also been significant shifts in the distribution of productive forces, both at the international level and within individual states.

Such a rapid development of world industry was associated with the scientific and technological revolution of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Through the introduction of the achievements of scientific and technological progress, the development of industry in the 19-20th century. led to significant changes in the conditions and way of life of all mankind.

The purpose of writing this paper is to analyze the scientific and technological achievements of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as well as to determine their impact on world economic development.

When writing this work, it is necessary to solve the following tasks: characterization of scientific and technical inventions of the late 19th and early 20th centuries; analysis of structural changes in industry in the late 19th and early 20th centuries; determination of the impact of technological development on the world economy.

Scientific and technical inventions of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

At the end of the 19th century, the so-called "Age of Electricity" began. So, if the first machines were created by self-taught masters, then during this period all technological introductions were closely interconnected with science. Based on the development of electricity, a new energy basis for industry and transport was developed. So, in 1867. W. Siemens invented an electromagnetic generator, with the help of which, by rotating a conductor in a magnetic field, it was possible to obtain and generate an electric current. In the 70s. In the 19th century, a dynamo was invented, which was used not only as a generator of electricity, but also as an engine that turned electrical energy into dynamic. In 1883, T. Edison invented the first modern generator, and in 1891. he invented the transformer. Thanks to these inventions, industrial enterprises could now be located away from energy bases, and electricity production was organized at special enterprises - power plants. The equipment of machines with electric motors significantly increased the speed of machine tools, which led to an increase in labor productivity and created the prerequisites for the subsequent automation of the production process.


Due to the fact that the need for electricity was constantly growing, it became necessary to develop more powerful, compact and economical engines. So, in 1884, the English engineer C. Parsons invented a multi-stage steam turbine, with the help of which it was possible to increase the rotation speed several times.

Internal combustion engines were widely used, which were developed by German engineers Daimler and Benz in the middle of the 80s.

In 1896 German engineer R. Diesel developed an internal combustion engine with a high efficiency. A little later, this engine was adapted to work on heavy liquid fuel, in connection with which it began to be widely used in all branches of industry and transport. In 1906, tractors with internal combustion engines appeared in the USA. Mass production of such tractors was mastered during the First World War.

During this period, one of the main industries was electrical engineering. Thus, electric lighting became widespread, which was associated with the construction of large industrial enterprises, the development of cities and a significant increase in electricity production.

Also, such a branch of electrical engineering as communication technology has also received wide development. At the end of the 19th century, the wire telegraph equipment was improved, and by the beginning of the 80s. In the 19th century, work was carried out on the design and practical use of telephone equipment. Telephone communication began to spread rapidly in all countries of the world. The first telephone exchange was built in the USA in 1877, in 1879. A telephone exchange was built in Paris, and in 1881 - in Berlin, St. Petersburg, Moscow, Odessa, Riga and Warsaw.

One of the main achievements of the scientific and technological revolution was the invention of radio - wireless telecommunications, which is based on the use of electromagnetic waves. For the first time, these waves were discovered by the German physicist G. Hertz. In practice, this connection was applied by the outstanding Russian scientist A.S. Popov, who on May 7, 1885. demonstrated the world's first radio receiver.

At the beginning of the 20th century, another branch of electrical engineering was invented - electronics. So, in 1904. English scientist J. A. Fleming invented a two-electrode lamp (diode), which could be used to convert the frequencies of electrical vibrations. In 1907 American designer Lee de Forest invented a three-electrode lamp (triode) with which it was possible not only to convert the frequency of electrical oscillations, but also to amplify weak oscillations.

Thus, the industrial application of electrical energy, the construction of power stations, the expansion of electric lighting in cities, the development of telephone communications led to the rapid development of the electrical industry.

The rapid development of mechanical engineering, shipbuilding, military production and railway transport demanded ferrous metals. In metallurgy, technical innovations began to be applied, and the technique of metallurgy achieved great success. Significantly changed the design and increased the volume of blast furnaces. New methods of steel production were introduced due to the redistribution of pig iron in a converter under strong blast.

In the 80s In the 19th century, an electrolytic method for producing aluminum was introduced, which led to the development of non-ferrous metallurgy. The electrolytic method was also used to obtain copper.

Transport was one of the main directions of scientific and technological progress. So, in connection with technological development, new types of transport have appeared. The growth in the volume and speed of transportation contributed to the improvement of railway technology. The rolling stock on the railways was improved: the power, traction force, speed, weight and dimensions of steam locomotives and the carrying capacity of wagons increased. Since 1872, automatic brakes were introduced on railway transport, and in 1876. the design of the automatic hitch has been developed.

At the end of the 19th century, experiments were carried out in Germany, Russia and the United States on the introduction of electric traction on railways. The first electric city tram line opened in Germany in 1881. In Russia, the construction of tram lines began in 1892.

During the period of scientific and technological progress of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. a new mode of transport was invented - the automobile. The first cars were designed by German engineers K. Benz and G. Daimler. The industrial production of automobiles began in the 1990s. 19th century. The high rates of development of the automotive industry contributed to the construction of highways.

Another new mode of transport was air transport, a decisive role in the development of which was played by aircraft. The first attempts to design aircraft with steam engines were carried out by A.F. Mozhaisky, K. Ader, H. Maxim. Aviation became widespread after the establishment of light and compact gasoline engines. At first, airplanes were of sporting importance, then they began to be used in military affairs, and then - for transporting cars.

During this period, chemical methods of processing raw materials were also organized in almost all branches of production. In such industries as mechanical engineering, electrical production, and the textile industry, the chemistry of synthetic fibers began to be widely used.

Scientific and technological progress of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. contributed to the introduction of many innovations to improve the technical sphere of light, printing and other industries.

The 19th century was revolutionary for the evolution of technology. So it was during this period that mechanisms were invented that radically changed the entire course of human development. Most of these technologies, although they have been noticeably improved, are still used today.
What technical inventions of the 19th century changed the whole course of human development? Before you will now be a list of important technical innovations that have made a technical revolution. This list will not be rankings, all technical inventions are of equal importance to the world technological revolution.

Technical inventions XIX.
1. The invention of the stethoscope. In 1816, the French doctor Rene Laennec invented the first stethoscope - a medical device for listening to the noises of internal organs (lungs, heart, bronchi, intestines). Thanks to him, doctors can, for example, hear wheezing in the lungs, thereby diagnosing a number of dangerous diseases. This device has undergone significant changes, but the mechanism has remained the same and is an important diagnostic tool today.
2. Invention of the lighter and matches. In 1823, the German chemist Johann Döbereiner invented the first lighter - an effective means of making fire. Now the fire could be lit in any conditions, which played an important role in the lives of people, including the military. And in 1827, the inventor John Walker invented the first matches, based on the mechanism of friction.
3. Invention of Portland cement. In 1824, William Aspdin developed a type of cement that is used today in almost all countries of the world.
4. Internal combustion engine. In 1824, Samuel Brown invented the first engine that had an internal combustion system. This important invention gave rise to the development of the automotive industry, shipbuilding and many other mechanisms powered by an engine. As a result of evolution, this invention has undergone many changes, but the system of work has remained the same.
5. Photo. In 1826, the first photograph was invented by the French inventor Joseph Niepce, based on the method of fixing the image. This invention gave an important impetus to the further development of photography.
6 . Electric generator. The first electric generator was invented in 1831 by Michael Faraday. This device is capable of converting all types of energy into electrical energy.
7. Morse code. In 1838, the American inventor Samuel Morse created the famous coding method called Morse code. Until now, this method is used in maritime military art and in navigation in general.
8 . Anesthesia. In 1842, there was absolutely one of the most important medical discoveries - the invention of anesthesia. Its inventor is Dr. Crawford Long. This allowed surgeons to perform operations on an unconscious patient, which significantly increased the survival rate, since before that patients were operated on in full consciousness, from which they died from pain shock.
9. Syringe. In 1853, there was another very important medical discovery - the invention of the syringe familiar to us. Its inventor is the French doctor Charles-Gabriel Pravas.
10. Oil and gas drilling rig. The first oil and gas drilling rig was invented in 1859 by Edwin Drake. This invention marked the beginning of the extraction of oil and natural gas, which led to a revolution in the fuel industry.
11. Gatling gun. In 1862, the then-famous American inventor Richard Gatling created the world's first machine gun, the Gatling gun. The invention of the machine gun was a revolution in military craft and in the following years, this weapon became one of the deadliest on the battlefield.
12. Dynamite. Dynamite was invented by Alfred Nobel in 1866. This mixture completely changed the foundations of the mining industry, and also laid the foundation for modern explosives.
13 . Jeans. In 1873, the American industrialist Levay Strauss invented the first jeans - trousers made of incredibly durable fabric, which have become one of the main types of clothing for more than a century and a half.
14 . Automobile. The world's first automobile was patented by George Selden in 1879.
15. Gasoline internal combustion engine. In 1886, one of the greatest discoveries of mankind was made - a gasoline internal combustion engine. This device is being used around the world on an incredible scale.
16. Electric welding. In 1888, a Russian engineer invented electric welding, known and used all over the world, which makes it possible to join various iron parts in a short time.
17. Radio transmitter. In 1893, the famous inventor Nikola Tesla invented the first radio transmitter.
18. Cinema. In 1895, the Lumiere brothers filmed the first movie in the world - the famous tape with the arrival of a train at the station.
19. X-ray radiation. Another important breakthrough in medicine was made in 1895 by the German physicist Wilhelm Roentgen. He invented an X-ray camera. This device, for example, can detect a broken human bone.
20. Gas turbine. In 1899, the inventor Charles Curtis invented a mechanism, or rather a continuous internal combustion engine. Such engines were significantly more powerful than piston engines, but also more expensive. Actively used in the modern world.
21. Magnetic sound recording or tape recorder. In 1899, the Danish engineer Valdemar Poulsen made the first tape recorder - a device for recording and playing sound using magnetic tape.
Before you was a list of some of the most important technical inventions of the XIX century. Of course, during this period there were quite a large number of other inventions, in addition, they are no less important, but these inventions deserve special attention.

Every year or decade there are more and more scientists and inventors who give us new discoveries and inventions in various fields. But there are inventions that, once invented, change our way of life in the most enormous way, moving us forward on the path of progress. Here are just ten great inventions that have changed the world we live in.

List of inventions:

1. Nails

Inventor: unknown

Without nails, our civilization would surely collapse. It is difficult to establish the exact date of the appearance of nails. Now the approximate date of the creation of nails is in the Bronze Age. That is, it is obvious that nails could not have appeared before people learned how to cast and form metal. Previously, wooden structures had to be built using more complex technologies, using complex geometric structures. Now the construction process has become much easier.

Until the 1790s and early 1800s, iron nails were made by hand. The blacksmith would heat a square iron bar and then beat it on four sides to create the sharp end of the nail. Machines for making nails appeared between the 1790s and the early 1800s. Nail technology continued to evolve; After Henry Bessemer developed the process to mass-produce steel from iron, the iron nails of yesteryear gradually fell out of favor, and by 1886, 10% of nails in the US were made from mild steel wire (according to the University of Vermont). By 1913, 90% of the nails produced in the US were made from steel wire.

2. Wheel

Inventor: unknown

The idea of ​​a symmetrical component moving in a circular motion along an axis existed in ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt and Europe separately at different time periods. Thus, it is impossible to establish who and where exactly invented the wheel, but this great invention appeared in 3500 BC and became one of the most important inventions of mankind. The wheel facilitated work in the areas of agriculture and transportation, and also became the basis for other inventions, ranging from carriages to clocks.

3. Printing press

Johannes Gutenberg invented the manual printing press in 1450. By 1500 twenty million books had already been printed in Western Europe. In the 19th century, a modification was made, and the iron parts replaced the wood ones, which speeded up the printing process. The cultural and industrial revolution in Europe would not have been possible were it not for the speed with which the printing press made it possible to distribute documents, books and newspapers to a wide audience. The printing press allowed the development of the press, and also gave people the opportunity to educate themselves. The political sphere would also be unthinkable without millions of copies of leaflets and posters. What can we say about the state apparatus with its endless number of forms? All in all, a truly great invention.

4. Steam engine

Inventor Story by: James Watt

Although the first version of the steam engine dates back to the 3rd century AD, it was not until the early 19th century with the advent of the industrial age that the modern form of the internal combustion engine emerged. It took decades of design, after James Watt made the first drawings, according to which the combustion of fuel releases high-temperature gas and, as it expands, puts pressure on the piston and moves it. This phenomenal invention played a decisive role in the invention of other mechanisms such as automobiles and airplanes that changed the face of the planet we live on.

5. Bulb

Inventor: Thomas Alva Edison

The invention of the light bulb was developed during the 1800s by Thomas Edison; he is credited with the title of the main inventor of a lamp that could burn for 1500 hours without burning out (invented in 1879). The idea of ​​the light bulb itself does not belong to Edison and was expressed by many people, but it was he who managed to choose the right materials so that the light bulb burned for a long time and became cheaper than candles.

6. Penicillin

Inventor: Alexander Fleming

Penicillin was accidentally discovered in a petri dish by Alexander Fleming in 1928. The drug penicillin is a group of antibiotics that treats several infections in humans without harming them. Penicillin was mass-produced during World War II to rid military personnel of STDs and is still used as the standard antibiotic against infections. It was one of the most famous discoveries made in the field of medicine. Alexander Fleming received the Nobel Prize in 1945, and newspapers of the time wrote:

"To defeat fascism and liberate France, he made more whole divisions"

7. Phone

Inventor: Antonio Meucci

For a long time it was believed that Alexander Bell was the discoverer of the telephone, but in 2002 the US Congress decided that Antonio Meucci had the right to primacy in the invention of the telephone. In 1860 (16 years earlier than Graham Bell), Antonio Meucci demonstrated an apparatus that could transmit voice over wires. Antonio called his invention Telektrofon and applied for a patent in 1871. This set the stage for one of the most revolutionary inventions that almost everyone on our planet has in their pockets and on their desks. The telephone, which later also developed as a mobile phone, has had a vital impact on mankind, especially in the fields of business and communication. The expansion of audible speech from inside one room to the whole world is a feat unparalleled to this day.

8. Television

Zworykin with an iconoscope

Inventor: Rosing Boris Lvovich and his students Zworykin Vladimir Konstantinovich and Kataev Semyon Isidorovich (not recognized as a discoverer), as well as Philon Farnsworth

Although the invention of television cannot be attributed to one person, most people acknowledge that the invention of modern television was the merit of two people: Vladimir Kosma Zworykin (1923) and Philo Farnsworth (1927). It should be noted here that in the USSR Kataev Semyon Isidorovich was engaged in the development of a TV using parallel technology, and Rosing described the first experiments and principles of operation of electric television at all at the beginning of the 20th century. Television was also one of the greatest inventions that has evolved from mechanical to electronic, from black and white to color, from analog to digital, from primitive models without a remote to intelligent, and now all to 3D versions and small home theaters. People usually spend about 4-8 hours a day watching TV, and this has greatly affected family and social life, as well as changed our culture beyond recognition.

9. Computer

Inventor: Charles Babbage, Alan Turing and others.

The principle of the modern computer was first mentioned by Alan Turing and later the first mechanical computer was invented in the early 19th century. This invention has really done amazing things in more areas of life, including the philosophy and culture of human society. The computer has helped take off high-speed military aircraft, put spacecraft into orbit, control medical equipment, create visual images, store vast amounts of information, and improve the functioning of cars, telephones, and power plants.

10. Internet and World Wide Web

Map of the entire computer network for 2016

Inventor: Vinton Cerf and Tim Berners-Lee

The Internet was first developed in 1973 by Vinton Cerf with the support of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA). Its original use was to provide a communications network to research laboratories and universities in the United States and to expand overtime. This invention (along with the World Wide Web) was the main revolutionary invention of the 20th century. In 1996, over 25 million computers were connected via the Internet in 180 countries, and now we even had to switch to IPv6 to increase the number of IP addresses, since IPv4 addresses were completely exhausted, and there were about 4.22 billion of them.

The World Wide Web, as we know, was first predicted by Arthur C. Clarke. However, the invention was made 19 years later in 1989 by CERN employee Tom Berners Lee. The web has changed the way we think about various areas, including education, music, finance, reading, medicine, language, etc. The web is potentially superior all the great inventions of the world.

inventions of the 19th century. From grateful descendants

The inventions of the 19th century laid the scientific and practical foundation for the discoveries and inventions of the 20th century. The nineteenth century became the springboard for the breakthrough of civilization. In this article I will talk about the most significant and outstanding scientific achievements of the nineteenth century. Tens of thousands of inventions, new technologies, fundamental scientific discoveries. Cars, aviation, spacewalks, electronics… You can list for a long time. All this became possible in the 20th century thanks to the scientific and technological inventions of the nineteenth century.

Unfortunately, in one article it is impossible to tell in detail about each invention created in the century before last. Therefore, in this article, all inventions will be described as briefly as possible.

inventions of the 19th century. The Age of Steam. rails

The nineteenth century was golden for steam engines. Invented in the eighteenth century, it was increasingly improved, and by the middle of the nineteenth century it was used almost everywhere. Plants, factories, mills...
And in 1804, the Englishman Richard Trevithick installed a steam engine on wheels. And the wheels rested on metal rails. It turned out the first steam locomotive. Of course, it was very imperfect and was used as an amusing toy. The power of the steam engine was only enough to move the locomotive itself, and a small cart with passengers. The practical use of this design was out of the question.

But after all, a steam engine can be put more powerful. Then the steam locomotive will be able to carry more cargo. Of course, iron is expensive and the creation of a railway will cost a pretty penny. But the owners of coal mines and mines knew how to count money. And from the middle of the thirties of the century before last, the first steam locomotives went along the plains of the Metropolis, hissing steam and scaring away horses and cows.

Such clumsy constructions made it possible to sharply increase the turnover. From the mine to the port, from the port to the steel furnace. It became possible to smelt more iron, and from it to create more machines. So the steam locomotive dragged technical progress forward.

inventions of the 19th century. The Age of Steam. Rivers and seas

And the first steamboat that was ready for practical use, and not just another toy, splashed down the Hudson with paddle wheels in 1807. Its inventor, Robert Fulton, installed a steam engine on a small riverboat. The engine power was not great, but still the steamer made up to five knots per hour without the help of the wind. The steamer was a passenger one, but at first few people dared to step aboard such an unusual design. But gradually things got better. After all, steamships were less dependent on the vagaries of nature.

In 1819, the Savannah, a ship with sailing equipment and an auxiliary steam engine, crossed the Atlantic Ocean for the first time. For most of the journey, the sailors used a fair wind, and the steam engine was used during calm. And 19 years later, the steamship Sirius made the crossing of the Atlantic only with the help of steam.

In 1838, the Englishman Francis Smith installed a propeller instead of bulky paddle wheels, which was much smaller and allowed the ship to reach greater speed. With the introduction of screw steamers, the centuries-old era of handsome sailboats came to an end.

inventions of the 19th century. Electricity

In the nineteenth century, experiments with electricity led to the creation of many devices and mechanisms. Scientists and inventors conducted many experiments, deduced the fundamental formulas and concepts used in our 21st century.

In 1800, the Italian inventor Alessandro Volta assembles the first galvanic cell - the prototype of the modern battery. A disc of copper, then a cloth soaked in acid, then a piece of zinc. Such a sandwich creates an electrical voltage. And if you connect such elements together, you get a battery. Its voltage and power directly depend on the number of galvanic cells.

1802, Russian scientist Vasily Petrov, having designed a battery of several thousand elements, receives the Voltaic arc, the prototype of modern welding and a light source.

In 1831, Michael Faraday invented the first electrical generator that could convert mechanical energy into electrical energy. Now there is no need to burn yourself with acid and collect countless metal mugs together. On the basis of this generator, Faraday creates an electric motor. So far, these are still demonstration models that clearly show the laws of electromagnetic induction.

In 1834, the Russian scientist B. S. Yakobi designed the first electric motor with a rotating armature. This motor can already find practical application. The boat, driven by this electric motor, goes against the current along the Neva, carrying 14 passengers.

inventions of the 19th century. Electric lamp

Since the forties of the nineteenth century, experiments have been going on to create incandescent lamps. A current passed through a thin metal wire heats it up to a bright glow. Unfortunately, the metal hair burns out very quickly, and the inventors are struggling to increase the life of the light bulb. Various metals and materials are used. Finally, in the nineties of the nineteenth century, the Russian scientist Alexander Nikolaevich Lodygin presents the electric light bulb that we are used to. This is a glass flask from which air is pumped out; a spiral of refractory tungsten is used as a filament.

inventions of the 19th century. Telephone

In 1876, American Alexander Bell patented the "talking telegraph", the prototype of the modern telephone. This device is still imperfect, the quality and range of communication leave much to be desired. There is no call familiar to everyone and to call a subscriber you need to whistle into the phone with a special whistle.
Literally a year later, Thomas Edison improved the telephone by installing a carbon microphone. Now subscribers do not need to yell heart-rendingly into the phone. The communication range increases, a familiar handset and a call appear.

inventions of the 19th century. Telegraph

The telegraph was also invented in the early nineteenth century. The first samples were very imperfect, but then there was a qualitative leap. The use of an electromagnet made it possible to send and receive messages faster. But the existing legend about the inventor of the telegraph alphabet, Samuel Morse, is not entirely true. Morse invented the very principle of coding - a combination of short and long pulses. But the alphabet itself, numerical and alphabetic, was created by Alfred Weil. Telegraph lines eventually entangled the entire Earth. There were submarine cables linking America and Europe. The huge data transfer rate also made a significant contribution to the development of science.

inventions of the 19th century. Radio

Radio also appeared in the nineteenth century, at its very end. It is generally accepted that the first radio was invented by Marconi. Although his discovery was preceded by the work of other scientists, and in many countries the primacy of this inventor is often questioned.

For example, in Russia, Alexander Stepanovich Popov is considered the inventor of the radio. In 1895, he introduced his device, called the lightning detector. Lightning during a thunderstorm caused an electromagnetic pulse. From the antenna, this pulse entered the coherer - a glass flask with metal filings. The electrical resistance sharply decreased, the current went through the wire winding of the bell electromagnet, a signal was heard. Then Popov repeatedly upgraded his invention. The transceivers were installed on warships of the Russian Navy, the communication range reached twenty kilometers. The first radio even saved the lives of fishermen who broke away on an ice floe in the Gulf of Finland.

inventions of the 19th century. Automobile

The history of the car also dates back to the nineteenth century. Of course, connoisseurs of history can also remember the steam car of the Frenchman Cugno, the first exit of which took place in 1770, by the way, the first exit ended and the first accident, the steam cart crashed into the wall. Cugno's invention cannot be considered a real car, it is more of a technical curiosity.
Daimler Benz can be considered the inventor of a real car, which is suitable for everyday practical use.

Benz made his first ride in his car in 1885. It was a three-wheeled carriage, with a gasoline engine, a simple carburetor, electric ignition and water cooling. There was even a differential! Engine power was just under one horsepower. The motor crew accelerated to 16 kilometers per hour, which, with a spring suspension and simple steering, was quite enough.

Of course, other inventions preceded the Benz car. So, a gasoline, or rather a gas, engine was created in 1860. It was a two-stroke engine that used a mixture of light gas and air as fuel. The ignition was spark. In its design, it resembled a steam engine, but it was lighter and did not require time to ignite the firebox. Engine power was about 12 horsepower.
In 1876, a German engineer and inventor, Nikolaus Otto, designed a four-stroke gas engine. It turned out to be more economical and quiet, although more complex. In the theory of internal combustion engines, there is even the term "Otto Cycle", named after the creator of this power plant.
In 1885, two engineers, Daimler and Maybach, designed a light and compact carburetor engine that runs on gasoline. This unit installs on its tricycle Benz.

In 1897, Rudolf Diesel assembles an engine in which the mixture of air and fuel is ignited by strong compression, and not by a spark. In theory, such an engine should be more economical than a carburetor. Finally the engine is assembled and the theory is confirmed. Trucks and ships now use engines called diesels.
Of course, dozens and hundreds of automotive little things are being invented, such as the ignition coil, steering, headlights, and much more, which made the car comfortable and safe.

inventions of the 19th century. Photo

In the 19th century, another invention appeared, without which existence seems to be unthinkable now. This photo.
Camera - obscura, a box with a hole in the front wall, has been known since ancient times. Even Chinese scientists noticed that if the room is tightly draped with curtains, and there is a small hole on the curtain, then on a bright sunny day, an image of the landscape outside the window appears on the opposite wall, although it is upside down. This phenomenon was often used by magicians and negligent artists.

But it wasn't until 1826 that Frenchman Joseph Niepce found a more practical use for a box that collects light. On the sheet of glass, Joseph applied a thin layer of asphalt varnish. Then the first photographic plate was installed in the apparatus and ... In order to get an image, it was necessary to wait about twenty minutes. And if this was not considered critical for landscapes, then those who wanted to capture themselves in eternity had to try. After all, the slightest movement led to a spoiled, blurry frame. And the process of obtaining an image was not yet like that which had become familiar in the twentieth century, and the cost of such a “picture” was very high.

A few years later, chemicals more sensitive to light appeared, now there was no need to sit, staring at one point and be afraid to sneeze. In the 1870s, photographic paper appeared, and ten years later, photographic film replaced the heavy and fragile glass plates.

The history of photography is so interesting that we will definitely devote a separate large article to it.

inventions of the 19th century. Gramophone

But a device that allows you to record and reproduce sound appeared almost at the turn of the century. At the end of November 1877, the inventor Thomas Edison presented his next invention. It was a box with a spring mechanism inside, a long foil-covered cylinder, and a horn outside. When the mechanism was started, it seemed to many that a miracle had happened. From the metal bell came, albeit softly and unintelligibly, the sounds of a children's song about a girl who brought her lamb to school. And the song was sung by the inventor himself.
Edison soon improved this device, calling it the phonograph. Instead of foil, wax cylinders began to be used. Recording and playback quality has improved.

If instead of a wax cylinder a disc made of durable material is used, then the volume and duration of the sound will increase. The first disk made of shell was used in 1887 by Emil Berlinner. The device, called the gramophone, gained great popularity, because it turned out to be much faster and cheaper to stamp records with records than to record music on soft wax cylinders.

And soon the first record companies appeared. But this is the history of the twentieth century.

inventions of the 19th century. Warfare

And of course, technological progress has not bypassed the military either. Of the most significant military inventions of the nineteenth century, one can note the massive transition from muzzle-loading smoothbore guns to rifled firearms. There were cartridges in which gunpowder and a bullet were a single whole. There was a bolt on the guns. Now the soldier did not have to separately pour gunpowder into the barrel, then insert the wad, then push the bullet and again the wad, wielding a ramrod during each operation. The rate of fire has increased several times.

The queen of the fields, artillery, has also undergone similar changes. Since the second half of the nineteenth century, gun barrels have become rifled, dramatically increasing the accuracy and range of fire. The loading now took place from the breech, and instead of the cores they began to use cylindrical shells. Gun barrels were no longer cast from cast iron, but from stronger steel.

Smokeless pyroxylin powder appeared, nitroglycerin was invented - an oily liquid that explodes with a small push or impact, and then dynamite - all the same - nitroglycerin mixed with binders.
The nineteenth century gave the generals and admirals the first machine gun, the first submarine, sea mines, unguided rockets and armored steel ships, torpedoes, and instead of red and blue uniforms, suitable only for parades, the soldiers received a comfortable and inconspicuous uniform on the battlefield. The electric telegraph began to be used for communication, and the invention of canned food greatly simplified the provision of food to the armies. Many of the wounded were saved by the invention of anesthesia in 1842.

inventions of the 19th century. Match

In the nineteenth century, a lot of things were invented, sometimes invisible in everyday life. Matches were invented, the most seemingly simple and ordinary thing, but for the appearance of this small wooden stick, the discoveries of chemists and designers were needed. Special machines were created for the mass production of matches.

1830 — Thomas McCall of Scotland invents the two-wheeler

1860 - Pierre Michaud from France modernizes the bike by adding pedals to it

1870 — James Starley of France creates a modification of a bicycle with a large wheel

1885 — John Kemp from Australia makes cycling safer

1960 race bike appears in the USA

In the mid-1970s, mountain biking appeared in the USA.

inventions of the 19th century. Stethoscope

Remember going to the doctor - the therapist. A cold touch to the body of a metal round, the command "Breathe - do not breathe." This is a stethoscope. He appeared in 1819 due to the reluctance of the French physician Rene Laennec to put the ear to the body of the patient. At first, the doctor used tubes made of paper, then made of wood, and then the stethoscope was improved, it became even more convenient, and modern devices use the same principles of operation, the hundred and first paper tubes.

inventions of the 19th century. Metronome

To train beginning musicians to get a sense of rhythm, the nineteenth century invented the metronome, a simple mechanical device that clicked evenly. The frequency of sounds was regulated by moving a special weight on the scale of the pendulum.

inventions of the 19th century. metal feathers

The nineteenth century brought relief to the saviors of Rome - the geese. In the 1830s, metal feathers appeared, now there was no need to run after these proud birds in order to borrow a feather, and there was no need to correct steel feathers. By the way, the penknife was originally used for the constant sharpening of bird feathers.

inventions of the 19th century. ABC for the blind

While still a toddler, the inventor of the alphabet for the blind, Louis Braille became blind himself. This did not stop him from learning, becoming a teacher, and inventing a special method of 3D printing, now the letters could be felt with your fingers. The Braille alphabet is still used today, thanks to it, people who have lost their sight or have been blind since birth were able to gain knowledge and get an intellectual job.

In 1836, an interesting structure appeared in one of California's endless wheat fields. Several horses pulled a wagon that made noise, creaked, screeched, frightened crows and respectable farmers. The wagon's wheels spun, the chains rattled, and the blades of knives gleamed. This mechanical monster was devouring wheat and spitting out straw that no one wanted. And the wheat accumulated in the belly of the monster. It was the first grain harvester. Later, harvesters became even more productive, but they also required more and more traction power, up to forty horses or oxen were pulled through the fields of mechanical monsters. At the end of the nineteenth century, the steam engine came to the aid of horses.