Top 10 remarkable engineers of all time
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5. Hero of Alexandria
This man could have started the Industrial Revolution in 50 AD with the invention of the Aeolipile, a form of steam or jet engine where jets of steam spin a ball. However, he failed to realize what the device could do, and thought of it as nothing but a toy. Some have speculated that the abundance of slave labor negated any need for a labor-saving device, so no one applied his device in the manner of the Industrial Revolution. Hero also wrote many works on subjects ranging from pneumatics to mathematics to physics. [/tie_slide]
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4. Wilbur and Orville Wright
Before Wilbur and Orville discovered what would later become the safest mode of transport, they were bicycle mechanics with a passion for kite-flying. The crucial insights from both fields would later propel them to victory in the race to the sky.
Most prototypes of the time could not stay in the air long enough after taking off. The Wright brothers however understood that stability was crucial in overcoming this challenge. After several experiments using kites and gliders, they created a pulley system that altered the shape of the wing in mid-flight, increasing and decreasing the speeds. The Wright brothers were also the first to look at propeller design and aerodynamics, profoundly changing the world. [/tie_slide]
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3. Henry Ford
Henry Ford realized that he would a more efficient way to mass produce cars in order to lower the price. He looked at other industries and found four principles that would further their goal: interchangeable parts, continuous flow, division of labor, and reducing wasted effort. Ford put these principles into play gradually over five years, fine-tuning and testing as he went along. In 1913, they came together in the first moving assembly line ever used for large-scale manufacturing. Ford produced cars at a record-breaking rate forever changing the automobile industry.[/tie_slide]
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2. Thomas Edison
Edison is the most prolific inventor in history, holding a record 1,097 patents. He developed the phonograph, incandescent light bulb, stock ticker, motion picture camera and projector, and hundreds more. He also created the first electrical plant and distribution infrastructure. Without these inventions, modern life is almost inconceivable. [/tie_slide]
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1. Leonardo da Vinci
Perhaps the biggest visionary of all time, Leonardo foresaw everything from the helicopter to the tank to the submarine. Modern engineers have proven that many of his designs, including bridges, hang-gliders, transmissions, parachutes, and more would have worked had they been built. There have been few individuals in the history of engineering who have designed so many revolutionary devices that actually worked. For having this remarkable vision and intelligence, Leonardo qualifies as the most remarkable engineer of all time.
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Books about these remarkable engineers.
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Engineers are not jst those that actualized something, they are the brain behind dat creation. D list is ok xcept 4 Edison
Inventors are not the same as engineers. A lot of emphasis has been placed on people who fit into the American ideal so I can only assume the compiler of this list is American and does not know a great deal about engineering. The Wright brothers are given way too much credit for the plane when heavier than air flight had already taken place before then, just less well documented. Henry Ford invented the assembly line but gets number three for that apparently. Edison is the biggest lie ever told in the classroom. Not only is he not an engineer, he did not invent moving pictures or the lightbulb, these things were done by other people but Edison always gets the credit. If you look up the lightbulb saga you’ll find he actually got sued for it. He did however invent the electric chair, but that tends to get passed over for the lightbulb, fits in better to classroom teachings. Da Vinci is probably the greatest man to have ever lived, but arguably not an engineer. Like a few other people have said, a list of greatest engineers without mentioning Isambard Kingdom Brunel isn’t worth knowing. Sorry, but this list is complete dross. Anything I have said you didn’t know or disagree with, look it up.
Hello,
With all due respect, it’s either that you are not an engineer but “like” engineering (Discovery Channel, National Geographic, etc…) or, you are a high-schooler and want to be an engineer.
Da Vinci was an artist, and a great one. A painter and sculptor, etc… But was never an engineer. Have you looked at his machines ? Nice things to have in your living room, that’s it.
Also, Thomas Edison ? Come on, where did you get that list ?
I agree that Da Vinci was not primarily an engineer. But he did engineer products and even conceptualized many more engineering products.
Jugurtha Hadjar,
Perhaps you should give us your ideal list of the greatest engineers.
Thanks for participating.
Admin,
Da Vinci was a brilliant artist and engineer! Read a bit of history and what this guy designed, most of them not put into works..
I must agree with Arnold. Any list of the top 10 Engineers of all time that does not include Isambard Kingdom Brunel is not worth anything. I think you would have to go a long way to find anybody who would claim that Henry Ford contributed more to the science and study of Engineering that Brunel did.
No offence but a list that doesn’t rank Brunel in the top10 engineers of all time is a joke. Also how can Edison be higher than Tesla? Quantity should never prevail over quality!
I totally agree.Edison. A great Businessman? Yes. Engineer? He shouldn’t even be on this list!
Congrats for that!
I first thought, man you forgot the greatest of them all davinci! But then I saw it that you put him number one, and I am glad you did!
Keep on rocking!
i can assure u that u have to put my name in the list within coming 10 yrs .
after all i am working on einsteins dream time machine and really close to it. sry for bad english,
We wish you all the best. The Engineering Daily will be ready to profile your achievements for all to see.
Ken.
Of course sir!