(b. Jan. 19, 1736, Greenock, Renfrewshire, Scot.-d. Aug. 25, 1819, Heathfield Hall, near Birmingham, Warwick, Eng.) James Watt was a Scottish instrument maker and inventor whose steam engine contributed substantially to the Industrial Revolution. He was elected fellow of the Royal Society of London in 1785. Education and Training Watt’s father, the treasurer and magistrate […]
(b. Oct. 24, 1632, Delft, Neth.-d. Aug. 26, 1723, Delft) Antonie van Leeuwenhoek was a Dutch microscopist who was the first to observe bacteria and protozoa. His researches on lower animals refuted the doctrine of spontaneous generation, and his observations helped lay the foundations for the sciences of bacteriology and protozoology. Little is known of
(b. Jan. 17 [Jan. 6, Old Style], 1706, Boston, Mass. [now in U.S.]-d. April 17, 1790, Philadelphia, Pa., U.S.) Benjamin Franklin was an American printer and publisher, author, inventor and scientist, and diplomat. One of the foremost of the Founding Fathers, Franklin helped draft the Declaration of Independence and was one of its signers, represented
Cro-Magnon was a population of early Homo sapiens dating from the Upper Paleolithic Period (c. 40,000 to c. 10,000 years ago) in Europe. In their ancient cave habitations they left behind traces of ingenious stone tools, carved statuettes and figurines, and painted scenes of striking beauty that are considered to be among the greatest treasures
(b. c. 290–280 BCE, Syracuse, Sicily [now in Italy]-d. 212/211 BCE, Syracuse) The most famous mathematician of ancient Greece, Archimedes is especially important for his discovery of the relation between the surface and volume of a sphere and its circumscribing cylinder and for his formulation of a hydrostatic principle (known as Archimedes’ principle). As an
(b. April 14, 1629, The Hague, Neth.-d. July 8, 1695, The Hague) Christiaan Huygens (or Christian Huyghens) was a Dutch mathematician, astronomer, and physicist who founded the wave theory of light, discovered the true shape of the rings of Saturn, and made original contributions to the science of dynamics-the study of the action of forces
(b. 14th century, Mainz [now in Ger.]-d. probably Feb. 3, 1468, Mainz) Johann Gensfleisch zur Laden zum Gutenberg was a German craftsman and inventor who originated a method of printing from movable type that was used without important change until the 20th century. The unique elements of his invention consisted of a mold, with punchstamped
In the 1970s, Swedish pop group Abba replaced the BEATLES as the world’s most popular entertainers. They had extraordinary chart success, and their deceptively simple, slick (some would say bland) music, conceals their quite exceptional songwriting and production skills. Formed in 1972, Abba included Benny Andersson (b. December 1946), keyboards and synthesizer; Bjorn Ulvaeus (b.
CLOSE COOPERATION between Aprilia and Austrian enginemakers Rotax resulted, in 1993, in this high-tech trail bike. The engine has a five-valve cylinder head, with the valves arranged radially around a central spark plug. The valves are controlled by twin, chain-driven, overhead camshafts. The combination of technology, looks, price, and performance have made the Pegaso serious
THE YOUNG APRILIA COMPANY recognized competition success as an important way to enhance its image. Originally the firm produced motocross machines, but in the mid-1980s it began a campaign for Grand Prix success in the 250 and, later, 125 classes. The early racers used a Rotax tandem, twin-cylinder, disc-valve, two-stroke engine, but 1989’s new machine