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The Industrial Revolution, usually dated from around the mid-18th century to the mid-19th century, brought an extraordinary array of inventions that changed industry and society alike. Most inventions were collaborative affairs where inventors built on the ideas of others. In addition, there was a continuous evolution of these inventions as inventors and engineers sought improvements in efficiency and capacity.
Many inventors were often driven by a passion for their idea and the good it might do rather than a mere search for profit. A surprising number made little or no money from their inventions, either because they spent all they had on research and development or because others disregarded patents and copied their ideas.
In this gallery, we showcase 30 of the most important inventions, selected for how they changed and, in many cases, continue to affect everyday life around the world.
... rely upon it, locomotives shall not be cowardly given up. I will fight for them until the last. They are worthy of a conflict.
A model of the pedal bicycle invented by the Scottish blacksmith Kirkpatrick Macmillan (1812-1878) in 1839. There had been earlier two-wheeled vehicles, but these were not powered by turning the pedals with one's feet. Macmillan's bicycle had no gears so the rear wheel was made slightly larger than the front wheel. The famous 'penny-farthing' bicycle, popular from the 1870s, took this idea even further and had a significant difference in size between the two wheels. Bicycles soon became popular and allowed people of modest means to travel further than they could otherwise.
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