A List of Major Inventions of the 19th Century


1811: Breechloader Gun, Thornton (USA)
1812: Experimental Locomotive, Fenton et al. (England) see: Trevithick 1802
1816: Miner's Safety Lamp, Davy (England)
1816: Photography, Niepce (France) see 1835
1817: Kaleidoscope, Brewster (Scotland)
1818: Harvester-thresher, Lane (USA)
1819: Stethoscope, Laennec (France) see 1840


1820: Galvanometer, Sweigger (Germany)
1822: Mowing Machine, Bailey (USA)
1824: Electromagnet, Sturgeon (England)
1824: Portland Cement, Aspdin (England)
1827: Friction Match, John Walker (England)
1829: Practical Locomotive, Stephenson (England) see: Trevithick 1802
1829: Braille Printing, Braille (France)


1830: First US Locomotive, P. Cooper (USA)
1833: Calculating Machine (mechanical computer), Babbage (England)
1834: Reaper, McCormick (USA)
1835: Photographic Paper, Talbot (England)
1835: Photography, Talbot (England)
1835: Photography, Daguerre (France) see 1816
1836: Revolver Pistol, Colt (USA)
1837: DC Motor, Davenport (USA)
1837: Magnetic Telegraph, Morse (USA)
1837: Screw Propellor, Ericsson (Sweden)
1838: Stereoscope, Wheatstone (England)
1839: Vulcanized Rubber, Goodyear (USA)
1839: Babbitt Metal, Babbitt (USA)


1840: Binaural Stethoscope, Cammann (USA) see 1819
1843: Mercerized Textiles, J. Mercer (England)
1845: Turret Lathe, Fitch (USA)
1845: Rotary Printing Press, Hoe (USA)
1845: Double-tube Tire, Thomson (Scotland)
1846: Sewing Machine, Howe (USA)
1846: Coal-Gas 4-cycle Engine, Otto (Germany)
1847: Guncotton, Schoenbein (Germany)
1847: Arc Light, Staite (England)
1849: Safety Pin, Hunt (USA)
1849: Gas Turbine, Bourdin (France)
1849: Hydraulic Turbine, Francis (USA)


1851: Electric Locomotive, Vail (USA)
1851: Ice-making Machine, Gorrie (USA)
1851: Cylinder Lock, Yale (USA)
1851: Ophthalmoscope, Helmholtz (Germany)
1852: Airship, Giffard (France)
1852: Gyroscope, Foucault (France)
1852: Elevator Brake, Otis (USA)
1852: Half-tone Engraving, Talbot (USA)
1853: Glider, Cayley (England)
1855: Gas Burner, Bunsen (Germany)
1856: Steel Converter, Bessemer (England)
1858: Steelmaking Furnace, Siemens (Germany)
1858: Mason Jar, J. Mason (USA)
1859: Spectroscope, Kirchoff & Bunsen (Germany)
1859: Rechargeable Storage Battery, Plante (France)


1860: Linoleum, Walton (England)
1860: Repeating Rifle, Spencer (USA)
1860: Shoe-sewing Machine, McKay (USA)
1861: Machine Gun, Gatling ((USA)
1861: Monitor Warship, Ericsson (USA)
1863: Player Piano, Forneaux (France)
1864: Experimental Automobile, Marcus (Austria)
1864: Quadruplex Telegraph, Edison (USA)
1865: Web Printing Press, Bullock (USA)
1865: Sleeping-Car, Pullman (USA)
1865: Pneumatic Tool, Law (England)
1866: Dynamite, Nobel (Sweden)
1867: Railway Block Signals, Hall (USA)
1867: Typewriter, Sholes, Soule, Glidden (USA)
1868: Air Brake, Westinghouse (USA)
1868: Refrigerator Car, David (USA)
1869: Oleomargarine, Mege-Mouries (France)


1870: Celluloid, Hyatt (USA)
1870: Stock Ticker, Edison (USA)
1871: Compressed Air Rock Drill, Ingersoll (USA)
1871: Continuous Current Dynamo, Gramme (Belgium)
1872: Gasoline Engine, Brayton (USA)
1872: Improved Machine Gun, Hotchkiss (USA) see Gatling 1861
1873: Car Coupler, Janney (USA)
1874: Barbed Wire, Glidden (USA)
1875: Magazine Gun, Hotchkiss (USA)
1876: Telephone, Edison (USA)
1876: Carpet Sweeper, Bissell (USA)
1877: Microphone, Berliner (USA)
1877: Phonograph, Edison (USA)
1877: Electric Welding, Thomson (USA)
1878: Cathode Ray Tube, Crookes (England)
1878: Cream Separator, DeLaval (Sweden)
1878: Disc Cultivator, Mallon (USA)
1878: Cystoscope, Nitze (Germany)
1879: Cash Register, Ritty (USA)
1879: Incandescent Lamp, Edison (USA)
1879: Saccharin, Remsen & Fahlberg (USA)


1880: Photophone, Bell (Scotland/USA)
1882: Electric Fan, Wheeler (USA)
1882: Electric Flatiron, Seely (USA)
1883: Compression Ignition Engine, Daimler (Germany)
1883: Electric Ignition Engine, Benz (Germany)
1883: Maxim Gun, H.S. Maxim (USA/England)
1884: Linotype, Mergenthaler (USA)
1884: Fountain Pen, Waterman (USA)
1884: Transparent Photo Film, Eastman & Goodman (USA)
1884: Smokeless Powder, Vieille (France)
1884: Rayon (Nitrocellulose), Chardonnet (France)
1884: Steam Turbine, Parsons (England)
1884: Manganese Steel, Hadfield (England)
1884: AC Transformer, Stanley (USA)
1884: Electric Trolley Car, Van DePoele (USA)
1885: Adding Machine, Burroughs (USA)
1885: Modern Bicycle, Starley (England)
1885: Motorcycle, Daimler (Germany)
1885: Gas Mantle, Welsbach (Austria)
1887: Comptometer, Felt (USA)
1887: Monotype, Lanston (USA)
1887: Induction Motor, Tesla (USA)
1887: Record Cylinder, Bell & Tainter (USA)
1887: Disc Record, Berliner (USA)
1887: Railroad Telegraph, Wood (USA)
1887: Electric Trolley Car, Sprague (USA)
1888: Kodak Camera, Eastman & Walker (USA)
1888: Induction Meter, Shallenberg (USA)
1888: Wax Cylinder Record, Edison (USA)
1888: Pneumatic Tire, Dunlop (Scotland)
1889: Gasoline Engine, Daimler (Germany) [see 1872: Brayton]
1889: Gasoline Automobile, Daimler (Germany)
1889: Kinetoscope, Edison (USA)
1889: Punchcard Accounting, Hollerith (USA)


1890: Pneumatic Hammer, King (USA)
1890: Time Recorder, Bundy (USA)
1890: Rayon (Cuproammonium), Despeissis (France)
1890: Tuberculin, Koch (Germany)
1891: Zipper, W. L. Judson (USA)
1891: Oil Cracking Process, Dewar (USA)
1891: Oil Cracking Furnace, Gavrilov (Russia)
1891: Steel Alloy, Harvey (USA)
1891: Submarine, Holland (USA)
1891: Automatic Telephone, Stowger (USA)
1891: Diphtheria Antitoxin, Von Behring (Germany)
1892: Color Photograph, Ives (USA)
1892: Electric Automobile, Morrison (USA)
1892: Gasoline Automobile, Duryea (USA)
1892: AC Motor, Tesla (USA)
1892: Canned Pineapple
1893: Gasoline Carburetor, Maybach (Germany)
1893: Coke Oven, Hoffman (Austria)
1893: Celluloid Photographic Film, Reichenbach (USA)
1894: Movie Machine, Jenkins (USA)
1894: Card Time Recorder, Cooper (USA)
1894: Even Keel Submarine, Lake (USA)
1895: Signals by Radio, Marconi (Italy)
1895: Wireless High Frequency Telegraph, Marconi (Italy)
1895: Diesel Engine, Diesel (Germany)
1895: Safety Razor, King C. Gillette (USA)
1895: Rayon (Acetate), Cross (England)
1895: Bottle Machine, Owens, (USA)
1895: Photoelectric Cell, Elster (Germany)
1895: First professional American Football game
1895: First U. S. Open Golf championship
1896: Experimental Airplane, Langley (USA)
1896: Disc Plow, Hardy (USA)
1896: Synthetic Camphor, Haller (France)
1896: First Modern Olympics (Athens)
1897: Automobile Magneto, Bosch (Germany)
1897: Automobile Muffler, H. P. Maxim (USA)
1897: Cathode Ray Oscilloscope, Braun (Germany)
1897: Browning Gun, Browning (USA)
1897: Argyrol, Bayer (Germany)
1897: Zionist Congress, Basel, with Theodor Herzl & Max Nordau
1898: Recording Telephone, Poulsen (Denmark)
1898: Spinal Anaesthesia, Bier (Germany)
1898: Photographs taken using artificial illumination
1899: Wireless Telephone, Collins (USA)
1899: Magnetic Tape Recorder, Poulsen (Denmark)


1891: Java Man (Pithecanthroipus erectus) unearthed by Eugene Cubois
1895: X-Ray, Roentgen (Germany)
1896: Radioactivity, Becquerel (France)
1897: Electron, discovered by J. Thomson (England)
1898: Radium, Pierre Curie (France) & Marie Curie (Poland)

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