Tiffany & Jesslyn's Timeline

Thomas Newcomen patents the atmospheric steam engine

Apr 4, 1712

Invention: Atmospheric Steam Engine
Inventor: Thomas Newcomen
Year: 1712
What did it do better? First practical device to harness the power of steam to produce mechanical work. Newcomen's engine was also used for pumping water out of the metal mines in his native West Country, such as the tin mines of Cornwall.

Power

Period: Apr 4, 1712 to Apr 4, 1900

Textiles

Period: Jan 1, 1733 to Apr 4, 1856

Georges Louis Lesage patents the electric telegraph

Apr 4, 1744

Invention: Electric Telegraph
Inventor: Georges Louis Lesage
Year: 1744
What did it do better? the electric telegraph is an extremely important invention for communication and media. Before the electric telegraph, people had to wait long periods of time to get news from other states, regions, countries, etc. With the electric telegraph, it allows the transmission of information by coded signal over distance.

E.G. Von Kleist invents the Leyden Jar

Apr 4, 1745

Invention: Leyden Jar
Inventor: E.G. Von Kleist
Year: 1745
What did it do better? It was the first electrical capacitor, a device for storing electricity. The Leyden jar was used to conduct many early experiments in electricity, and its discovery was of fundamental importance in the study of electricity. Around the turn of the century it began to be widely used in spark-gap transmitters and medical electrotherapy equipment. The leyden jar evolved into the modern compact form of a capacitor.

Benjamin Franklin Invents the Lightning Rod

Apr 4, 1752

Invention: Lightning Rod
Inventor: Benjamin Franklin
Year: 1752
What did it do better? The lightning rod significantly reduces the number of fires caused by lightning. It's a single component that protects.

Flying Shuttle Invented

Apr 3, 1753

Invention: Flying Shuttle
Inventor: John Kay
Year: 1753
What Did It Do Better? An Improvement to looms that enabled weavers to weave faster.

Bridgewater Canal opens.

Apr 4, 1761

Inventor: James Brindley
What did it do better? Barges carry coal from Worsley to Manchester

Transportation

Period: Apr 4, 1761 to Apr 4, 1886

Water Frame Invented

Apr 4, 1764

Invention: Water Frame
Inventor: Richard Arkwright
Year: 1764
What did it do better? first powered textile machine. it created one of the first factories that was specifically built to house machinery.

Spinning Jenny Invented

Apr 4, 1764

Invention: Spinning Jenny
Inventor: James Hargreaves
Year: 1764
What Did It Do Better? It was the first machine to improve the spinning wheel

Bridgewater Canal extended to the Mersey, thus connecting with Liverpool.

Apr 4, 1772

Inventor: James Bringdley
What did it do better? Its success kicks off extensive canal construction. "Canal mania"

Communication

Period: Apr 4, 1774 to Apr 4, 1877

Steamship

Apr 4, 1775

Inventor: Jacques Perrier
What did it do better? It made transportation of goods more efficient and economical because they could go upstream on rivers and canals.

Submarine

Apr 4, 1776

Inventor: David Bushnell
What did it do better? It allowed people to transport underwater and was very helpful in wars.

Grand Trunk Canal establishes a cross-England route

Apr 4, 1777

Inventor: James Bridgewater
What did it do better? It connected the Mersey to the Trent and also connected the industrial Midlands to the ports of Bristol, Liverpool, and Hull.

Spinning Mule Invented

Apr 4, 1779

Invention: Spinning Mule
Inventor: Samuel Crompton
Year: 1779
What did it do better? the spinning mule allowed greater control over the weaving process

Gervinus invents the circular saw

Apr 4, 1780

Invention: Circular Saw
Inventor: Gervinus
Year: 1780
What did it do better? the circular saw is a tool for cutting wood or other materials and may be hand-held or table-mounted. It can also be used to make narrow slots. Since it was invented, it has been used until this day

Hot-air balloon

Apr 4, 1783

Inventor: Montgolfier brothers
What did it do better? It allowed people to see above the trees and see an emeny coming, during the wars.

Benjamin Hanks patents the self-winding clock

Apr 4, 1783

Invention: Self Winding Clock
Inventor: Benjamin Hanks
Year: 1783
What did it do better? self-winding clocks earned a most important role in horological history. They provided robust and reliable time synchronization across the country. They serviced railroads and other transportation industries, factories, schools, retail stores, and other businesses

Andrew Meikle invents the threshing machine

Apr 4, 1784

Invention: Threshing Machine
Inventor: Andrew Meikle
Year: 1784
What did it do better? The threshing machine was used to help farmers harvest their field, the separation of grain from stalks and husks. It is used in agriculture. Mechanization of this process took much of the drudgery out of farm labour.

Steamboat in United States

Apr 4, 1786

Inventor: John Fitch
What did it do better? Steamboats were effeicient transportation for trafing goods, The steamboat helped the event called the Louisiana Purchase to occur.

Thames-Severn Canal links the Thames to the Bristol Channel.

Apr 4, 1789

Inventor: James Brindley
What it did better? Expendad the trade snd improved economy

John Barber invents the gas turbine

Apr 4, 1791

Invention: Gas Turbine
Inventor: John Barber
Year: 1791
What did it do better? Gas turbines are used to power aircrafts, trains, ships, electrical generators, or even tanks. the gas turbine determines the design so that the energy form is maximized.

Cotton Gin Invented

Apr 4, 1792

Invention: Cotton Gin
Inventor: Eli Whitney
Year: 1792
What did it do better? the machine automated the separation of cottonseed from the short staple cotton fiber

Lithography

Apr 4, 1798

Inventor: Aloys Senefelder
What did it do better? Lithography helped spread words or news among the people. It was a quick and useful way to communicate something

Alessandro Volta invents the battery

Apr 4, 1799

Invention: Battery
Inventor: Alessandro Volta
Year: 1799
battery: main source of electricity. the invention rose major electrical advances, from studies to telegraphs & telephones, leading to computers, phones, and other electrical devices.

Louis Robert invents the Fourdrinier Machine

Apr 4, 1799

Invention: Fourdrinier Machine
Inventor: Louis Robert
Year: 1799
What did it do better? a machine that creates paper, fibreboards and paperboards. Paper was a luxury item and continued to develop. The Fourdrinier machine became the basis for most modern papermaking.

Jacquard Loom Invented

Apr 4, 1804

Invention: Jacquard Loom
Inventor: Joseph Marie Jacquard
Year: 1804
What did it do better? Jacquard loom is used to weave complex designs. Jacquard invented a way of automatically controlling the warp and weft threads on a silk loom by recording patterns of holes in a string of cards. This invention was considered an important step in the history of computing hardware. It developed computer programming.

first commercially successful steamboat between New York City and Albany

Apr 4, 1807

Operated: Robert Fulton
What did it do better? It took steamboats to a whole new level

Humphry Davy invents the first electric light

Apr 4, 1809

Invention: Electric Light
Inventor: Humphry Davy
Year: 1809
What did it do better? this invention continued to develop until thomas edison improved and created the first light bulb which is used in modern days.

Variable Speed Batton Invented

Apr 4, 1813

Invention: Variable Speed Batton
Inventor: William Horrocks
Year: 1813
What did it do better? William Horrocks improved the original power loom and made a more effective way of winding the woven cloth onto a beam at the back of the loom.

Steam locomative

Apr 4, 1814

Inventor: George Stephenson
What did it do better? It allowed people and perishable goods to move in and out of vast distances, allowing for the mass settlement of western states and territories in the US.

William Sturgeon invented the electromagnet

Apr 4, 1825

Invention: electromagnet
Inventor: William Sturgeon
Year: 1825
What did it do better? the electromagnet lead to the invention of the electric telegraph

Erie Canal

Apr 4, 1829

What did it do better? Allowed goods to be shipped from New York City to Cleveland and eventually to Chicago.

Steam locomotive Rocket/Manchester-Liverpool railway

Apr 4, 1829

Invented: English engineer George Stephenson
What did it do better? Improved in designs. He won a contest for the new Manchester-Liverpool railway

Typewriter

Apr 4, 1829

Inventor: W.A Bart
What did it do better? It was the beginning of the business world for women and it was the beginning of a news industry. It was a good form of communication

Barthelemy Thimonnier invents a sewing machine

Apr 4, 1830

Inventor: Barthelemy Thimonnier
What did it do better? Sewing machines made work much easier for clothing companies. Still used today

Cyrus McCormick invents the first commercially successful reaper

Apr 4, 1831

Inventor: Cyrus McCormick
What did it do better? the invention of reaper results in countries becoming richer due to the fact that they get money while the machine does the job for them

Michael Faraday invents a electric dynamo

Apr 4, 1831

Inventor: Michael Faraday
What did it do better? the electric dynamo provided a steady amount of electricity used for different industrial purposes. This invention led to the invention of electrical generators.

Henry Talbot invents calotype photography

Apr 4, 1835

Inventor: Henry Talbot
What did it do better? the invention of the calotype photography led to modern photography.

Charles Babbage invents a mechanical calculator

Apr 4, 1835

Inventor: Charles Babbage
What did it do better? the invention of the mechanical calculator led to modern calculator

Samuel Colt invented the first revolver

Apr 4, 1836

Inventor: Samuel Colt
What did it do better? the revolver made my Samuel Colt works when six bullets are shot when a usual gun only needs one. This led to the inventions of more effective revolvers

Telegraph

Apr 4, 1837

Inventor: Samuel Morse
What did it do better? Allowed people to communicate with one another at a distance.

Bicycle

Apr 4, 1839

Inventor: Kirkpatrick Macmillan
What did it do better? It made personal transportation practical and affordable for everyone.

Charles Goodyear invents rubber vulcanization

Apr 4, 1839

Inventor: Charles Goodyear
What did it do better? Charles Goodyear was the first to come up with the basic concept of rubber vulcanization and this leads to other people improving the process. The discovery of the rubber-sulfur reaction revolutionized the use and applications of rubber, and changed the face of the industrial world.

Railway station in York

Apr 4, 1840

Inventor: George Hudson
What did it do better? Controlled the railway and the engines that were using it

Alexander Bain invents the facsimile

Apr 4, 1843

Inventor: Alexander Bain
What did it do better? The invention of the facsimile was the invention of the fax machine. This led to improvements and developments of the machines and used in today's world

Leading railroads emerge as the nation's first big businesses with modern managerial hierarchies.

Apr 4, 1850

What did it do better? More railroads were built and expanded rapidly around the country

Airship powered by the first aircraft engine

Apr 4, 1852

Inventor: Henri Giffard
What did it do better? Even though it was a unsuccessful design, the idea inspired many other people.

George Cayley invents a manned glider

Apr 4, 1853

Inventor: George Cayley
What did it do better? this invention led to improvements and led to modern day gliders

Georges Audemars invents rayon

Apr 4, 1855

Inventor: Georges Audemars
What did it do better? Rayon is a major feedstock in the production of carbon fiber until today

Jean Lenoir invents an internal combustion engine

Apr 4, 1858

Inventor: Jean Lenoir
What did it do better? Internal combustion engine is very important in today's world for it powers a lot of cars.

Alexander Parkes invents the first man-made plastic

Apr 4, 1862

Inventor: Alexander Parkes
What did it do better? Due to this invention, many other inventors tried to develop/improve, try to make better ones. Plastic can be found everywhere in the modern world.

Alfred Nobel invents dynamite

Apr 4, 1866

Inventor: Alfred Nobel
What did it do better? Due to the invention of dynamite, it is used in many areas in the world today. Dynamite is predominately used in mining, quarrying, and construction industries and has had historical use in warfare,

First modern typewriter

Apr 4, 1867

Inventor: Christopher Scholes
What did it do better? New design - improved in appearances and was made easier to function. More people began communicating using the typewriter

J P Knight invents traffic lights

Apr 4, 1868

Inventor: J P Knight
What did it better do? This invention led to more better versions of it. It was a very important invention those days and is still very significant modern days.

The first transcontinental railroad

Apr 4, 1869

What did it do better? It linked the United States into a huge single market, which improved their trade and economy by far.

Joseph Glidden invents barbed wire

Apr 4, 1873

Inventor: Joseph Glidden
What did it do better? the invention of barbed wire by Joseph Glidden was the most successful. This simple invention changed forever the development of the American West.

Charles Goodyear, Jr. invents the shoe welt stitcher

Apr 4, 1874

Inventor: Charles Goodyear Jr.
What did it do better? the invention of the welt stitcher by Charles Goodyear, Jr., made it possible to produce high-grade welt shoes by machine.

Telephone

Apr 4, 1876

Inventor: Alexander Graham Bell
What did it do better? Communication over the telephone has allowed people to interact with one another. Long distance communication has become possible too. The invention of the telephone lead to development of city centers, office buildings and the concept of an urban worker society.

Cylinder phonograph

Apr 4, 1877

Inventor: Thomas Edison
What did it do better? It was able to ranscribe telegraphic messages through indentations on paper tape, which could later be sent over the telegraph repeatedly.

Eadweard Muybridge invents the first moving pictures

Apr 4, 1877

Inventor: Eadweard Muybridge
What did it do better? this invention led to outstanding developments of movies today

Alexander Graham Bell invents the first crude metal detector

Apr 4, 1881

Inventor: Alexander Graham Bell
What did it do better? this invention save hundreds of people's lives over the next 20 years. This invention was responsible for the metal detectors we have today

James Ritty invents the first working, mechanical cash register

Apr 4, 1884

Inventor: James Ritty
What did it do better? This invention led to millions of cash registers used everywhere around the world today.

first practical automobile to be powered by an internal-combustion engine;

Apr 4, 1885

Inventor: Karl Benz
What did it do better? Allowed practical personal transportation and the idea inspired many others

The first gas-engined motorcycle

Apr 4, 1885

Inventor: Gottlieb Daimler
What did it do better? It made personal transportation easier and quicker

Harim Maxim invents the machine gun

Apr 4, 1885

Inventor: Harim Maxim
What did it do better? This invention had a major impact in our culture and daily lives is the machine gun. The invention of the machine gun gave the US a military advantage. Further technological advancements and new styles of warfare happened

First four-wheeled motor vehicle

Apr 4, 1886

Inventor: Gottlieb Daimler
What did it do better? It lead to the invention of modern day cars and gave people an efficient transportation

Josephine Cochrane invents the dishwasher

Apr 4, 1886

Inventor: Josephin Cochrane
What did it do better? this invention is very useful and is used around the world to wash dishes today.

Jesse W. Reno invents the escalator

Apr 4, 1891

Inventor: Jesse W. Reno
What did it do better? The escalator is used many places around the world today. This invention led to other inventors improving and developing them, making new and better versions of escalators used today.