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Engineering Innovations

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Title Description
First New York Subway First New York Subway
New York, NY
In the 19th century, New York City was a burgeoning industrial and commercial metropolis - the largest city in the United States and second largest in the world. As the city's…
First Oil Tanker First Oil Tanker
Bibi-Heybat, Baku
  The Zoroaster, commissioned and completed in 1878, is widely considered to be the world's first successful oil tanker. It was designed by Ludvig Nobel, who notably refused…
First Operational Use Of Wireless Telegraphy First Operational Use Of Wireless Telegraphy
Capetown,
The first use of wireless telegraphy in the field occurred during the Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902). The British Army experimented with Marconi's system and the British Navy…
First Radio Astronomical Observations Using Very Long Baseline Interferometry First Radio Astronomical Observations Using Very Long Baseline Interferometry
Caleden, BC
On the morning of 17 April 1967, radio astronomers used this radiotelescope at DRAO and a second one at the Algonquin Radio Observatory located 3074 km away to make the first…
First Ram-Type Blowout Preventer BOP
Houston, TX
This mechanism allowed the manual closing of a well, saved lives and prevented surface oil accumulation at drilling sites, quickly becoming an industry standard. In the early days…
First Self-Propelled Combine First Self-Propelled Combine
Visalia, CA
George Stockton Berry (1847-1917) of Lindsay, Tulare County, California designed, built, and in 1886, operated the first self-propelled combine. He was granted a U.S. Patent (#…
First Semiconductor Integrated Circuit (IC) First Semiconductor Integrated Circuit (IC)
Dallas, TX
On 12 September 1958, Jack S. Kilby demonstrated the first working integrated circuit to managers at Texas Instruments. This was the first time electronic components were…
First Successful Commercialization of Radiation Chemistry First Successful Commercialization of Radiation Chemistry
Fremont, CA
Founded in 1957, Raychem Corporation was the first company to successfully apply the new science of radiation chemistry to commercial use. This accomplishment led to the creation…
First Television Broadcast in Western Canada First Television Broadcast in Western Canada
North Vancouver, BC
On 16 December 1953, the first television broadcast in Western Canada was transmitted from this site by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's CBUT Channel 2. The engineering…
First Transatlantic Reception of a Television Signal via Satellite First Transatlantic Reception of a Television Signal via Satellite
Pleumeur-Bodou,
On 11 July 1962 a station in Pimsleur-Bodou received the first transatlantic transmission of a TV signal from a twin station in Andover, Maine, USA via the TELSTAR satellite. The…
First Transpacific Reception of a Television (TV) Signal via Satellite First Transpacific Reception of a Television (TV) Signal via Satellite
Takahagi,
On 23 November 1963, this site received the first transpacific transmission of a TV signal from Mojave earth station in California, U.S.A., via the Relay 1 communications…
Arne Larsson First Wearable Cardiac Pacemaker
Toronto, CA
During the winter of 1957-58, Earl E. Bakken developed the first wearable transistorized pacemaker, the request of heart surgeon, Dr. C. Walton Lillehei. As earlier pacemakers…
500 CPS Synchronous Rotary Gap transmitter at Brant Rock, Ma. Ca: 1906. First Wireless Radio Broadcast by Reginald A. Fessenden
Brant Rock, MA
On 24 December 1906, the first radio broadcast for entertainment and music was transmitted from Brant Rock, Massachusetts to the general public. This pioneering broadcast was…
Firth of Forth Railway Bridge Firth of Forth Railway Bridge
Queensferry,
"The majestic Forth Bridge ... symbolises the tremendous achievements of Victorian engineers and the immense strides made in the technique of bridge design and construction since…
Five Stone Arch Bridges Five Stone Arch Bridges
Hillsborough, NH
"Some of New Hampshire's most aesthetically pleasing yet least appreciated structures are stone arch bridges." From: Stone Arch Bridges of the Contoocook River Valley, New…
Roy Teranishi Flavor Chemistry Research at the USDA
Albany, CA
Flavor—encompassing both aroma and taste—provides the defining characteristic of how we experience food. Flavor has long been an enigma to scientists: Aristotle described two…
FMC Citrus Juice Extractor
Lakeland, FL
Squeezing an orange for juice is part of the concept of this machine, only on a much larger scale. The extractor revolutionized the juice industry. The twenty-four head rotary…
FMC Sterilizer FMC Sterilizer
Madera, CA
The Food Canning Industry Was Revolutionized In 1920, When The Continuous Rotary Pressure Sterilizer Was Introduced By Albert R. Thompson. Thompson Was Chief Engineer For The…
Folsom Powerhouse on the American River, at Folsom Powerhouse State Historic Park, California, USA Folsom Hydroelectric Power System House #1
Folsom, CA
The historic Folsom Power House #1 marks one of the first successful uses of hydroelectric power in the world and the first successful transmission of power long distance (…
Dehydrated_shredded_potatoes Food Dehydration Technology
Wyndmoor, PA
Instant mashed potatoes are commonplace on grocery shelves and have found wide use institutionally and in domestic and international food aid programs. The most successful form of…

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