That pious saint of England, our heroic and courageous knight, displaying such honourable qualities as devotion, leadership, truthfulness, and dedication in the rightful English cause of rescuing the princess of our achievements from the greedy Smaugs of this world, from their Internet lairs at the 'Lonely Mountain.'
[Smaug was the Dragon in J.R.R Tolkien's 1937 novel The Hobbit that was made into films.]
Here is one innovator for each day leading up to that sacred, liberating day of Saint George's Day on the 23rd of April - in no particular order.1. William Shakespeare
Said to be the greatest dramatist of all time, he was a playwright, actor, and poet. His works include 38 plays, 2 narrative poems, 154 sonnets, and a variety of other poems.
2. Joseph Lister
Antiseptic surgery, which he developed by spraying medical instruments, catgut, and bandages with a 1-in-20 solution of carbolic acid (phenol). "Lister, an English doctor and surgeon, became the first surgeon to perform an operation in a chamber sterilized with antiseptic methods. The result? More patients survived than ever before." - The History of Listerine. Listerine mouthwash was named after him. So was Listeria, a genus of bacteria that includes the species Listeria monocytogenes.
3. Florence Nightingale
An innovative nursing book publication and nurse training school. Her book, "Notes on Nursing: What It Is, and What It Is Not", in 1859, emphasized a professional approach to nursing that went beyond task-oriented. It highlighted the importance of empathy and proper patient care, as well as the significance of a well-ventilated environment and cleanliness in promoting health and recovery. Proper nutrition was also included, along with the importance of educating patients about their conditions and how to manage them during recovery at home. The book also emphasized the importance for nurses of observing, recording, and analyzing data to improve patient care. The following year, the Nightingale Training School for Nurses was established within St. Thomas' Hospital in London in 1860, further institutionalizing nursing as a respected profession. It served as a model for nursing education worldwide, becoming the first nursing school of its kind.
4. John Harington
The flush toilet, which he installed at Richmond Palace for Queen Elizabeth I. This innovative toilet flushed waste away using a cistern with a lever to release water, which washed the contents of the bowl down a drain. This was a significant advancement compared to the chamber pots commonly used at the time. Additionally, Harington's design included a water seal that prevented odors from escaping. His toilet also featured a bowl-like shape that helped contain waste and facilitate the flushing action we see in modern toilets today. Moreover, his invention could be installed indoors, a concept that was not prevalent in many households at the time.
5. William Addis
Known for the toothbrush, which was a brush with animal hair bristles and a bone handle. His invention improved oral hygiene and set the standard for toothbrushes used today. This led to the first mass-produced toothbrush when he formed his own company selling toothbrushes when Addis was founded in 1780. The company is still going, now as Addis Housewares.
6. Ada Lovelace
The first computer program. It was her 'Notes,' labelled alphabetically from A to G, on Englishman Charles Babbage's Analytical Engine (a digital mechanical computer that laid the theoretical groundwork for modern computers) which in particular, note "G," being particularly significant as it provided a step-by-step description for computation of Bernoulli numbers with Babbage's machine. It was basically an algorithm, which, in effect, made her the world's first computer programmer.
7. Tim Berners Lee
Inventor of the first web server and browser, the World Wide Web. He developed the uniform resource locator (URL), hypertext markup language (HTML), and hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP). He also proposed the name of “World Wide Web.”
8. Thomas Brassey
An engineer all over the world and a true humanist. The Thomas Brassey website refers to him as the "greatest railway builder in the world." English Pop mogul Pete Waterman is a Patron. It is stated that Brassey was responsible for building over 8,500 miles (13,700 km) of railway tracks. By 1847, he had built one third of the railways in the United Kingdom, and by the time of his death, he had built one in twenty of the miles of railway in the world. Further information on him states: "During the Crimean War in 1854 he went out and built a 39 mile long railway at Balaclava in just six weeks and provided a supply chain to the front until Sebastopol fell to the victorious British Army and their allies. He did this out of the goodness of his heart and took no profit from the enterprise." - Thomas Brassey Society.
9. John Mallard
John Mallard, an English medical physicist from Northampton, made groundbreaking contributions to imaging technology. After working at London Hammersmith Hospital, where he developed the first whole-body isotope scanner in the UK in 1959, he moved to Aberdeen to take up the position of Professor of Medical Physics, becoming the first holder of the Chair in Medical Physics at the University of Aberdeen. There, he established Scotland's first *PET (Positron Emission Tomography) facility at Aberdeen's Royal Infirmary, using radiotracers containing isotopes to create 3D images of metabolic processes within the body. In 1998, this facility was named 'The John Mallard Scottish PET Centre,' marking a significant first in Scotland. In recognition of his achievements, he was awarded the Freedom of the City of Aberdeen in 2004. Mallard and his team also constructed the world’s first whole-body MRI scanner, revolutionizing the way doctors visualize the anatomy and physiological processes of the body. Today, MRI scanners are used in hospitals around the world.
*A PET scan exposes a person to a small amount of radiation, which carries a slight risk of future harm, while MRIs do not use radiation. PET scans can detect tissue changes earlier than other imaging techniques, such as MRIs, which are especially effective for visualizing soft tissues like muscles and fat.
10. Bernard Lovell
H2S Radar. It was the first ground mapping radar to be used in combat in World War II. Initially the H2S was fitted to Stirling and Halifax bombers and provided ground mapping for navigation and accurate night bombing over German cities. This development using ten-centimeter radar was made possible by the development of the cavity magnetron by English Physicists John Randall and Harry Boot. It was also used against U-boats, a turning point in the war. Lovell stated, "In March and April we attacked 24 unsuspecting U-boats on the surface. Shipping losses fell from nearly 1,000,000 tonnes a month to fifty thousand, and Hitler complained in a radio broadcast of a 'single technical invention of our enemies.'" (Defford Airfield Heritage Group - RAF Association Reunion). He received an OBE in 1946.
11. James Brindley
His innovative canal waterway locks (Brindley Locks), that were designed to meet the specific needs of different canals. One feature was allowing boats to ascend and descend changes in water levels and were first used on the Bridgewater Canal, the first major canal in the UK, for which Brindley served as consulting engineer. He was a pioneer of many canal innovations that significantly advanced canal engineering. On the BBC show "Flog It!" featured Brindley and highlighted the many facets of his career, including how he made canals narrower to save water, designed and built an engine for draining coal pits at Clifton in Lancashire, and used puddle clay to waterproof the base of the canals. He is called the 'Father of the English Canal System,' - as pointed out by award-winning author and writer Roly Smith in an article for Derbyshire Life. In fact the most impressive feature was Brindley’s Barton Aqueduct, which carried the canal at a height of 39 feet over the River Irwell. For more information. See: "10 Derbyshire People Who Made Their Mark on the World" by Roly Smith.
12. Alec Reeves
Known for the Pulse Code Modulation (PCM), which is a method for transmitting digital signals over analog communication channels. This technique has proven effective for sampling and quantizing audio for encoding in digital form, serving as the basis for modern digital communications and media. The theory for telephone noise reduction, which involves transmitting speech over long distances by converting it into digital signals, was developed by him, although the technology was not available at the time. He patented PCM, which he referred to as the Electrical Signaling System, in 1938. The Telegraph newspaper noted in a past article about him: "Without PCM, there would be no Internet, no digital radio or television, no digital landline or mobile telephones, no CDs, DVDs, or CD-ROMs."
He also invented the OBOE (Observer Bombing Over Enemy) navigation system in WWII. OBOE was a radio navigation system that used a pair of ground stations to transmit radio signals to an aircraft, which would then use these signals to determine its precise location and velocity. This allowed the aircraft to navigate and bomb targets at night with greater accuracy. It enabled the RAF to drop bombs within 50 yards of their targets from 30,000 feet in total darkness.
He has been described as the 'Father of the Information Age.'
13. James Greathead
A railway engineer and pioneer in the use of tunnels, he was a man of English descent. Greathead was the first to use a cylindrical tunneling shield - his Greathead Tunneling Shield - in the construction of the Tower Subway under the River Thames in 1869.
"He was a god in his field. It's fair to say that without his invention of the tunneling shield, there would be no London Underground." - Welcome to the Worldwide Greathead family, my One-Name Study.
14. William Tyndale
The Tyndale Bible. William Tyndale sought to have the Bible translated from the original Greek and Hebrew texts into English for the common people. This was the primary aim of his life, and he succeeded. At the time, England was a Catholic country, and the Bible was available only in Latin, which was typically understood only by scholars and the clergy, including King Henry VIII, who could speak Latin. Tyndale identified flaws in Catholic teachings that were not present in the Bible. He replaced certain terms, such as 'church' with 'congregation' and 'priest' with 'elder.' As a result of his work, he became a wanted man and was eventually martyred for his efforts, in 1536. However, his translation laid the groundwork for the 'Great Bible,' which was authorized by King Henry VIII in 1539. Tyndale's translation of the New Testament, published in 1526, was the first English translation to be printed, and it marked a significant turning point in the English Reformation. His work influenced future English Bible translations, including the King James Bible. Tyndale is often referred to as the 'Architect of the English Language,' as many phrases he coined are still part of our language today. For more information, see "The Most Dangerous Man in Tudor England," a TV documentary by renowned English author and broadcaster Melvyn Bragg.
15. Paul Hawkins
The Hawk Eye technology for sport officiating. He was the founder of Hawk-Eye Innovations Ltd. (now Sony-owned, of which he was previously given the role of Sports Innovations Director at Sony). The Hawk-Eye system was developed by Hampshire-born Paul (who incidentally to me looks a bit like English Yorkshireman John Stones;) to help officials make perfect decisions that can sometimes evade the human eye. It was first used for television purposes in cricket in an England versus Pakistan game in a test match at Lord’s Cricket Ground (apt since it's the Home of Cricket) on May 21st in 2001 (Paul himself has played at English minor county level). Hawk-Eye (Hawk is a synonym of the first four letters of Paul’s surname) is now the leading technology used in sports all over the world, including tennis, of which former top player Andre Agassi described it as “the biggest thing to happen in tennis for 40 years." Paul was given an OBE in 2014.
16. James Starley & John Kemp Starley
James Starley is credited as the "Father of the British Cycle Industry." His inventions include the first model of the differential gear (which has since evolved into gear manufacturing in cars), and he perfected the chain-driven bicycle as well as patented the tangent wheel - meaning it had spokes lacing the wheel that crossed each other like lacing a shoe - which was very different from the radial-spoked style at the time. Cycling historian Andrew Ritchie said he was "probably the most energetic and inventive genius in the history of bicycle technology." Coventry became the center of the British bicycle industry, and a statue of him was erected in 1884 on Greyfriars Green in Coventry.
He even got involved in making and patenting sewing machines. He formed the Coventry Sewing Machine Company (then the Coventry Machinists Co. and later Swift of Coventry) with Josiah Turner, a business partner. Many of his patents in sewing machines are still being used today.
James's nephew, John Kemp Starley, completed the finished article of the bicycle design with the Rover safety cycle, which incorporated 26-inch wheels (still the standard today), a diamond-shaped frame, and a chain drive that is very similar to those found on modern bicycles. The cycling magazine stated that it had 'set the pattern for the world.' It achieved great commercial success worldwide.
17. Arthur Cotton
An English officer in the British army and irrigation engineer. The services he rendered in India for the people left a wonderful legacy. He devoted much of his life to the construction of irrigation and navigation canals throughout British India. "He is the only Englishman to have 3,000 statues in the two Godavari districts of Andhra Pradesh." - (from an article called: Sir Arthur Cotton's residence to turn a tourist hub, from the HansIndia news service).
18. Peter Mansfield
The innovative Echo-Planar Imaging (EPI), in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). He significantly improved the speed of MRI scans when he constructed an EPI prototype at Nottingham University producing the first MRI images of a live human finger in 1974 and a live human torso in 1978. EPI provides precise images of the brain, heart, and other internal organs, replacing invasive methods of examination and reducing the risk and discomfort for many patients. Incidentally, as a Nottingham man, and a former professor at the University of Nottingham, it now houses the Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanner in the Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, named after him. They were awarded £29.1 million in 2018 to establish the UK's most powerful Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanner as a national facility.
19. Thomas Newcomen
The Atmospheric Steam Engine. It was the first practical steam pump engine designed to draw water from the bottom of mines. Fellow engineer James Watt could not develop his own engine without this prototype, and which he relied on the financial support of his English partner, Matthew Boulton. Additionally, so was Englishman John Wilkinson's "Boring Machine" essential. Boulton and Watt turned to Wilkinson for assistance in boring the cast iron cylinders used in Watt's engines. "Despite Watt’s improvements, common engines (as they were then known) remained in use for a considerable time, and many more Newcomen engines than Watt engines were built even during the period of Watt’s patent, as they were cheaper and less complicated. Of over 2,200 engines built in the 18th century, only about 450 were Watt engines." - SciHi Blog, a daily blog on science, technology, and art in history.
20. Edward Jenner
The Smallpox Vaccine. In 1796, this was the world's first successful vaccine of any kind. He made this medical breakthrough when he inoculated an eight-year-old boy with cowpox to protect against the far more deadly smallpox. Jenner noticed that milkmaids, who routinely milked cows, seemed immune to smallpox after being exposed to the disease because they had contracted cowpox from the cows. Cowpox was a disease affecting cows and was caused by the cowpox virus, which is related to the variola virus that causes smallpox. Smallpox was characterized by fever, fatigue, and a distinctive rash that led to pus-filled lesions all over the body and could lead to death. Jenner coined the term "vaccine" from the Latin word "vacca," meaning cow. He is referred to as the "father of immunology" because, through his experience with this vaccine, he discovered the foundational principles of vaccines. His work is said to have saved "more lives than any other man".
21. Richard Arkwright
He created the worlds first successful water powered cotton spinning mill in 1779 outside the village of Cromford, Derbyshire. For his large workforce he developed Cromford with additional houses, a marketplace, convenience stores, and a hotel for visitors and festivities for the workers. It became a model factory town throughout England and the world. German Johann Gottfried Brügelmann copied Arkwright's spinning mill at Cromford and had English trained cotton workers to build and work the water frames on an Industrial site in Ratinger, Germany. Johann named his mill Textilfabrik-Cromford after the village of Cromford in England. Arkwright's Cromford Mills are now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
22. John Maynard Keynes
He is known, for what is called collectively, Keynesian Economics, which was the theory and practice of macroeconomics, alongside the economic policies adopted by governments, were fundamentally transformed by his contributions. His groundbreaking ideas emphasize the significance of total spending within the economy and its consequential effects on output, employment, and inflation. This macroeconomic framework has had a profound impact on both theoretical and practical approaches to economic policy across the globe. By advocating for proactive government intervention, Keynesian economics seeks to stabilize economic fluctuations, stimulate growth during downturns, and mitigate the adverse effects of recession. Its influence is evident in the adoption of fiscal policies aimed at boosting demand through government spending and tax adjustments, shaping the way nations respond to economic crises and manage their economies. His most famous work on this was The General Theory of Employment, Interest, and Money. But its precursor, A Treatise on Money, is said by some to be regarded as more important to economic thought.
23. Thomas Hawksley
He achieved international recognition for developing the first pressurized clean water supply that could be accessed simply by turning on a tap. This innovation also saved many lives from cholera. He received knighthoods and tributes from Sweden, Denmark, Brazil, and beyond for solving their water problems. See the article on him: "A Forgotten Hero Thomas Hawksley Waterworld," an online water engineering magazine serving the water industry worldwide. An excerpt from the link, on his hometown of Nottingham being the first city with a 24-hour water supply and the first city to escape the cholera epidemic in 1848 and 1849: "Through his ingenuity, Nottingham became one of the first places in the world to benefit from a pressurized supply of water available by the turn of a tap 24 hours a day. Hawksley’s pressurized system saved huge numbers of people when a cholera epidemic struck the country in 1848–49 – with Nottingham to escape the infection. In an earlier outbreak in 1832, he designed a cholera hospital, laid on a water supply, and even attended to the sick."
No comments:
Post a Comment