List of Important Inventions and Discoveries for Competitive Exams

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Science and Technology along with inventions and discoveries have changed the world drastically. They have enabled us for centuries to evolve into a different civilization. Starting from the discovery of fire and the invention of the wheel, the world has seen wonders in the space of inventions and discoveries.

Different theories – like that of the Black Hole and other cases have been speculated on the basis of the hypothesis. The formation of the Cloud concept has enabled data to manipulate in a different manner.

List of Important Inventions and Discoveries

Important Inventions and Discoveries

Wright Brothers were responsible for inventing the Aeroplane. The airplane in today’s world has seen different and modified prototypes. In previous years, ships were used to travel across the sea. This took a long period of time.

Now within a couple of days (along with layovers), we can find ourselves on a different continent in a short time. The Wright brothers were American Aviation pioneers who were also responsible for the invention of aircraft controls that made the fixed-wing powered flight possible.

Emile Reynaud was responsible for the invention of the praxinoscope and the first projected animation. Pantomimes Lumineuses (composed by him) was premiered on 28 October 1892 in Paris, France.

In 1888, he patented the Theatre Optique Film System. His inventions also include the use of the first instance of film perforations.

Johannes Gutenberg was a German Goldsmith and inventor of the printing press. He introduced the printing press in Europe. His Introduction of mechanical movable type printing in Europe started the Printing Revolution. It is regarded as a milestone.

It has played an important role in the Reformation, Renaissance and other ages as well. This in turn brought a change in socio-economy development.

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Alfred B. Nobel as a scientist, engineer, and philanthropist. Even though he held 355 patents, the invention of his dynamite sets him apart the most.He owned Bofors which he redirected from its previous roles as primarily an iron and steel producer to a major manufacturer of cannon and other armaments.

He bequeathed his fortune to institute the famous Nobel Prize in Stockholm, Sweden. The synthetic element nobelium named after Alfred Nobel.

Benjamin Franklin was one of the founding fathers of the United States of America. He was a polymath. He was a leading political philosopher, scientist, postmaster, writer, politician, civic activist, statesman, humorist, and held many other significant posts.

As an inventor, he is well known for the lightning rod, bifocals, and the Franklin stove. He also founded the Library Company and the University of Pennsylvania.

William Ramsay was a Scottish Chemist who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1904 for the discovery of the noble gases. His work thereby helped in the development of a different section – Noble Gases in the periodic table. Ramsay was also the President of the British Association from 1911-1912.

He also became the advisor in the Indian Institute of Science and said that Bangalore should be the place where this institution should be established.

Lewis Waterman was the founder of the Waterman Pen Company. Before receiving many patents for his fountain pen invention, he worked as a salesman in New York. He quit after six weeks and started his own business.

He dedicated his time to the invention and developing the pen with a simplified feed of his own design. His “three fissure feed” was the first patent, granted in 1884.

Thomas Edison was an American inventor and businessman. He is considered the United States’ greatest inventor of all time.

He helped develop the electric power generation, gramophone, sound recording, and motion pictures. Lot of engineers and scientists worked with him for the aim of discovering.

Richard Gaffing was an American inventor who is best known for its invention of the Gatling gun. This is the first successful machine gun. He also invented the screw propeller and a wheat drill in 1893. He also invented the hemp brake machine, steam tractor, marine steam ram, and a tractor as well.

When he saw that majority of the soldiers lost in the Civil War due to diseases, he went on to invent this machine gun.

Alexander Graham Bell was an inventor, scientist, and engineer who is patented with founding the first practical telephone. He also co-founded American Telephone and Telegraph Company (AT&T) in 1885.

Also he went on to contribute significantly in fields of optical telecommunications, hydrofoils, and aeronautics. He also served as the 2nd President of the National Geographic Society.

Dr. Felix Hoffman was a German Chemist. He is known for re-synthesizing diamorphine. He was also known for synthesizing aspirin even though he did not do it under his own name. Hoffman considered himself to be the first person to invent aspirin. He worked as Bayer, the company.

Willis Carrier was an American Engineer. He was best known for inventing the air-conditioner. He first invented the electrical air conditioning unit in 1902. Then he also founded Carrier Corporation, a company manufacturing and dealing in the distribution of air-conditioners.

Elisha G. Otis was an American industrialist. He was the founder of Otis Elevator. He was the inventor of the elevator in the year 1852. Also, he invented a safety device.

List of Important Inventions and Discoveries

Inventions and DiscoveriesName of the InventorYear of Invention
Automatic CalculatorWilhelm Schickard1623
Air ConditionerWillis Carrier1914
Amplitude ModulationReginald Fessenden
AnemometerLeon Battista Alberti1450
AnimationEmile Reynaud1892
Atom BombJulius Robert Oppenheimer1945
AspirinDr. Felix Hoffman1899
AirplaneWilbur and Orville Wright1903
Adhesive tapeRichard G. Drew1923
Bifocal LensBenjamin Franklin1784
BarometerEvangelista Torricelli
Barbed WireJoseph F. Glidden1873
Blood GroupKarl Landsteiner1900
Ball Point PenJohn Loud1888
Bicycle TyresJohn Boyd Dunlop1888
BicycleKirkpatrick Macmillan1839
CelluloidAlexander Parkes1861
ChloroformE. Soberran1831
Cine CameraWm. Friese-Greene1889
Circulation of bloodWilliam Harvey1628
Clock MechanicalHsing and Ling-Tsan1725
Diesel EngineRudolf Diesel1892
Centigrade ScaleAnders Celsius1742
ChlorineKarl Wilhelm Scheele1774
DynamiteAlfred B. Nobel1867
Diesel EngineRudolf Diesel1895
Electric stove/cookerWilliam S. Hadaway1896
ElectroscopeJean Nollet1748
Electric FanWheeler1882
Electric BatteryVolta1800
ElevatorElisha G. Otis1852
Electric Motor (DC)Zenobe Gramme1873
ElectromagnetWilliam Sturgeon1824
Fountain PenLewis Edson Waterman1884
FluorineFerdinand Frederick Henri Moissan1886
GramophoneThomas Edison1878
HydrogenHenry Cavendish1766
HelicopterIgor Sikorsky1939
HovercraftChristopher Cockerell1959
Hot Air BalloonJosef & Etienne Montgolfier1783
HeliumWilliam Ramsay1868
InsulinSir Frederick Banting1923
Jet EngineHans Von Ohain1936
Lightning ConductorBenjamin Franklin1752
LocomotiveRichard Trevithick1804
LaserDr. Charles H. Townes1960
Light BulbHeinrich Goebel1854
MotorcycleEdward Butler1848
MicroscopeZacharis Janssen1590
MicrophoneAlexander Graham Bell1876
Machine GunRichard Gatling1861
Neon LampGeorges Claude1915
OxygenAntoine Laurent Lavoisier1775
OzoneChristian Schonbein1839
PianoBartolomeo Cristofori1700
Printing PressJohannes Gutenberg1440
ParachuteJean Pierre Blanchard1785
Polio VaccineJonas Edward Salk
Periodic TableDmitri Mendeleev1869
PenicillinAlexander Fleming1928
PacemakerDr. Paul Zoll1952
Petrol for Motor CardKarl Benz1885
RefrigeratorJames Harrison1851
RadiumMarie & Pierre Curie1898
RadarDr. Albert H. Taylor & Leo C. Young1922
Rubber (vulcanized)Charles Goodyear1841
Rocket EngineRobert H. Goddard1926
RadioGuglielmo Marconi1894
Richter ScaleCharles Richter1935
Ship (Turbine)Charles Parsons1894
Steam ShipJ.C Perier1775
Steam BoatJohn Fitch1786
Safety MatchJ.E. Lundstrom1855
SubmarineDavid Bushnell1776
StethoscopeRene Laennec1816
SaxophoneAdolphe Sax1846
Sewing MachineElias Howe1846
Steam-Powered AirshipHenri Giffard1852
Soft Contact lensesOtto Wichterle1961
SynthesizerDr. Robert Arthur Moog1964
ThermometerGalileo1593
Theory of EvolutionCharles Darwin1858
TypewriterPeter Mitterhofer1841
TransistorsJohn Bardeen, William Shockley & Walter Brattain1948
TelephoneGraham Bell1874
Valve. RadioSir J.A Fleming1904
Vacuum CleanerIves McGuffey1869
Vitamin AFrederick Gowland Hopkins1912
Vitamin BChristiaan Eijkman1897
Vitamin CAlbert Szent-Gyorgi
Vitamin KHenrik Dam1929
Vitamin EHerbert McLean Evans & Katherine Scott Bishop— 
Windshield wipersMary Anderson1903
World Wide WebTim Berners Lee with Robert Cailliau 1989
X-rayWilhelm Conrad Roentgen1895
Xerox MachineChester Carlson1928

Conclusion

The world is continuously changing at a dynamic speed and inventions and discoveries are very important to be contributed to society. The inventions and discoveries have made our lives easier and quick. They are extremely important for mankind.

The world is continuously changing. In such a dynamic world, where SpaceX is all set for Mars, the dreams of discovery and inventions centuries ago might have not been able to imagine this.

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1 Response

  1. patan abdul razzaq khan says:

    i want seience

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