The nineteenth century was a time of radical leaps in technology. Subsequently, inventors and scientists were constantly working on new theories and products that would dramatically alter the world in which we live.
The following list contains a handful of the most famous inventors of the nineteenth century. These men all created everyday items that we now take for granted.
Alexander Graham Bell
Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, Alexander Graham Bell (1847 – 1922) is best known for his collaboration with Thomas Watson, which led to the invention of the telephone in 1876. However, Bell is also responsible for a number of other inventions, including multiple telegraph, hydro-airplane, new methods of teaching the deaf to speak and the photo-sensitive selenium cell, which led to the creation of a wireless phone.
Levi Strauss
Levi Strauss (1829 – 1902) was born in Germany where he trained as a tailor. A Jewish immigrant to the U.S., Strauss ran a business in San Francisco selling tents and linens to those who went to California during the gold rush of 1849. In 1873, Strauss collaborated with Nevada tailor, Jacob Davis, on a pair of sturdy work pants with copper rivets to add strength at stress points. These pants were first called waist overalls; little did Strauss know that his invention would become the height of fashion across much of the world.
Thomas Edison
Known as the ‘Wizard of Menlo Park’ (later renamed Edison), Thomas Edison (1847 – 1931) was one of the most prolific inventors of the nineteenth century. Edison began life as a telegraph operator, during which time he redesigned the stock-ticker machine. Eventually, the money from his stock printer allowed him to set up his own laboratory where he dedicated himself, and a team of employees, to inventing full-time. Some of his most famous inventions include the phonograph, carbon telephone transmitter, motion picture camera and modern electric light bulb.
John Pemberton
The invention of Cola, in 1886, changed the drinks industry forever. John Pemberton (1830-1888) had experimented extensively with syrups, elixirs and had previously developed a drink called French Wine of Coca. However, in 1885, the state of Atlanta banned alcohol and Pemberton was forced to change the ingredients of his popular beverage. Coke was born and it quickly became an incredibly popular soft drink.
Of course, there are many other inventors of the nineteenth century who contributed considerable amounts to the modern world. However, the men listed above created some of the most ubiquitous items of the contemporary era.