George stephenson Biography

George Stephenson

English mechanical engineer who invented the steam locomotive (Wylam, Northumberland, 1781-Chesterfield, Derbyshire, 1848).The son of a mechanic who operated a steam pump to drain water in a mine (of the Newcomen type), he became familiar with these machines from a very young age.His curiosity led him to study at night school, and while he made a living doing all kinds of trades, he continued to educate himself by helping his son review the lessons.

George Stephenson

Finally established as chief mechanic at the Killingworth mine, from 1813 he became interested in the application of James' steam engine Watt to the hauling of wagons on rails.He created the Blucher locomotive, which he progressively perfected, until in 1821 he convinced the promoters of the Stockton to Darlington railway project to have it drawn by a steam locomotive and not by horses; This is how the first modern railway line emerged, built by Stephenson in 1825.

Success led to a call to build the much longer Liverpool-Manchester line; on that occasion, his Rocket locomotive won a race with other locomotives who aspired to be employed on the line (1829).Stephenson installed a factory in Newcastle from which the eight locomotives that operated on this first regular railway service came out, and was called upon to build or advise on many other railways that were spreading throughout the world.

The locomotive Rocket

With his practical talent for mechanics, George Stephenson solved on the fly the many problems that They were emerging in the layout of new lines, construction of bridges, machines, rails and wagons, in addition to confronting those who distrusted this new means of communication due to its supposed effects on health and the environment.The construction of railway networks gave a definitive boost to the Industrial Revolution by notably increasing the demand for coal, iron and machinery and facilitating the transport of heavy goods and people; The need for heavy investment, on the other hand, preluded the formation of large industrial and financial corporations, a characteristic phenomenon of the Second Industrial Revolution.

Comments

François Joseph Fétis Biography

François Joseph Fétis (Mons, 1784-Brussels, 1871) Belgian composer, conductor and musicologist.He is the author of pieces for piano, comic operas and religious works and chamber music.He wrote a Universal Biography of Musicians and General Bibliography of Music (1837-1844) and an unfinished General History of Music (1869-1876). François-Joseph Fétis His father, an organist, led him to musical studies, which he carried out at the Paris Conservatoire.He stayed for some years in Douai as organist and teacher of song and harmony at the local Music School, and in 1818 he returned to the capital; There he developed his multiple activities as composer, teacher, scholar and critic for some fifteen years.From 1821 he taught counterpoint and fugue at the Conservatory. François-Joseph Fétis was in charge of the music criticism of Le Temps and Le National , and in 1826 he founded the Revue musicale , to whose writing he dedicated himself for five years, during which time he notabl...

The beginning of the workers struggle

The context of the Second Industrial Revolution. Between the middle and last quarter of the 19th century, the division between the Western Europe industrialized and the Eastern Europe and southern, whose economy continued to be based on agriculture for some time, after the repression of 1848 and the economic expansion that ensued, decreased the social conflict . The Working Class In the following decade, however, the activity of the labor movement was increased.The composition of the working class was diversified due to the increase in types of employment, especially in cities, where trades multiplied and coexisted with ancient artisanal activities. However, the living conditions for most of the workers remained harsh: along with the work possibilities they increased the lack of hygiene and overcrowding, and more women and children joined the work. The first unions The workers They soon developed an organization of their own, with the aim of joining ef...

Javier Fesser Biography

Javier Fesser (Javier Fesser Pérez de Petinto; Madrid, 1964) Spanish filmmaker.After filming two remarkable comedies, he gained notoriety with the drama Camino (2008), a controversial film for its vision of religious fanaticism that won six Goya Awards in 2009. Born in the Womb From a family with artistic concerns, Javier Fesser enrolled in naval engineering; Then he changed his studies for communication sciences at the Complutense University of Madrid, although he would not get a degree either.In 1986 he created Línea Films, a company dedicated to making advertising spots, from which he developed campaigns for brands such as Telefónica or BMW.In 1992 he founded, with Luis Manso, the Pendelton Film production company, with the idea of alternating advertising production with film production. Javier Fesser A at the same time that the television campaigns followed, Fesser began his journey in the cinema with the direction of short films.His debut could not have been more enco...

The Black Prince, a knight of legend, part I

Perhaps there is no more attractive and romantic time than the Middle Ages ; that of the knights, that of the heroes with armor, that of the great battles, that of courtesy and honor, and perhaps that is an image that we have reached because of what they have sold us in so many movies on the subject.Because...who has not heard of the Black Knight or Black Prince ? Who does not remember those films in which a fair knight appeared on his steed with his black armor brandishing his coat of arms and his spear or sword? Those fair and medieval tournaments, those battles, that respect that was won among their rivals... But much less that time was so honorable, not so pleasant, nor so romantic, because although it is true that the Black Prince showed his courtesy and magnanimity in many places, in many others he showed that above all, there was the interest of the kingdom he defended. Who was he? Black Prince? Eduardo de Woodstock belonged to the Plantagenet dynasty and was th...

Johannes kepler Biography

Johannes Kepler (Würtemburg, present-day Germany, 1571-Regensburg, id., 1630) German astronomer, mathematician and physicist.The son of a mercenary (who served for money in the hosts of the Duke of Alba and disappeared into exile in 1589) and a mother suspected of practicing witchcraft, Johannes Kepler overcame the consequences of an unhappy and sordid childhood thanks to his tenacity and intelligence. Johannes Kepler After studying at the seminaries of Adelberg and Maulbronn, Kepler entered the University of Tübingen (1588), where he studied theology and was also a disciple of the astronomer Michael Mästlin, a follower of Copernicus.In 1594, however, he interrupted his theological career by accepting a position as professor of mathematics at the Protestant seminary in Graz. Four years later, a few months after entering into a marriage of convenience, the edict of the Archduke Ferdinand against the Protestant teachers forced him to leave Austria, and in 1600 he moved to Prague...

Alexander Olivier Oexmelin Biography

Alexander Olivier Oexmelin (Alexander Olivier Oexmelin or Exquemelin; Honfleur, 1645-Amsterdam, around 1707) French traveler and adventurer.It seems that his real name was Henrick Smeeks.He must have been a Huguenot, which forced him to flee France during the great religious persecutions.He left Le Havre in 1666 (the date on which he began his well-known book), aboard the ship San Juan, belonging to the French Company of the West Indies.He should have reached the French West Indies, but on a ship he was raided by pirates and Oexmelin was sold as a slave on the island of Tortuga. During his captivity he learned the trade of surgeon from his master, with which he later enlisted in filibustering when he achieved freedom.He was with the Brothers of the Coast and later with famous filibusters, such as L'Olonnais, Morgan and Bertrand d'Orgeron. He participated in the catastrophic disaster in Puerto Rico in 1674 and was involved in all the major filibustering actions in the Car...

Camilo Sesto Biography

Camilo Sesto (Camilo Blanes Cortés; Alcoy, Alicante, 1946-Madrid, 2019) Spanish singer of light music, one of the most popular figures of the 1970s in Spain and Latin America.Initially interested in painting, in 1965 he joined a short-lived pop group called Los Botines. Camilo Sesto Five years later, in 1970, he began his solo career (at that time with the stage name of Camilo Sexto) and debuted discographically with the single "Llegará el verano".Later, with the former member of Los Brincos Juan Pardo as producer, he adapted a Brahms piece to pop with the title "Buenas noches", which was relatively successful.They were followed by "A ti, Manuela", "Ay, ay, Roseta" and the popular song "Algo de mi" (1972), nominated by the chain Ser as song of the summer.A year later, in November, he participated in the OTI International Festival as a representative of Televisión Española with the song "Algo más", composed by Juan Calde...

Bruno walter Biography

Bruno Walter (Berlin, 1876-Beverly Hills, 1962) German conductor and composer, nationalized American.Bruno Walter studied music at the Stern Conservatory in his hometown with the intention of undertaking a career as a pianist, an instrument with which he debuted as a soloist at the age of thirteen playing the Piano Concerto in E flat de Moscheles with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.But it was when listening to Hans von Bulow conduct that he decided to focus on conducting.In 1894, at the age of eighteen, he made his debut with the opera Der Waffenschmied by Gustav Lortzing leading the orchestra at the Cologne Opera. Bruno Walter Until 1896 he remained in the orchestra as a trainee conductor, and that same year he moved to Hamburg, where he received lessons from Gustav Mahler.His relationship with Mahler was decisive for his professional career, because of the teachings he received from Mahler and because it was the Austrian composer who provided him with a job as a conduct...

Jan Christiaan Smuts Biography

Jan Christiaan Smuts (Bovenplaats, present-day South Africa, 1870-Irene, id., 1950) South African military and politician.The son of farmers with predominantly Dutch roots, Jan Smuts spent his childhood in South Africa until he entered the University of Cambridge (UK) in 1891.As a law student, he quickly excelled, graduating number one in his class. Jan Smuts Back in his native country in 1895, he was drawn to politics.He married Isie Krige, and in 1898 he was appointed state attorney.During the Boer War he excelled at designing and introducing guerilla tactics against British troops. After the conflict, with his political ally Louis Botha carried out numerous public demonstrations in favor of greater self-government of the former republics.It is worth mentioning to the credit of Smuts important advances in this regard, such as the concessions in autonomic matters granted to the Transvaal province in 1906, and to the South African Union in 1910. After addressing in the compa...

Joseph Rotblat Biography

Joseph Rotblat (Warsaw, 1908-London, 2005) British physicist of Polish origin trained by the University of Warsaw.He participated in the Manhattan project to build the atomic bomb, resigning in 1944 and returning to the United Kingdom.He worked in the fields of nuclear physics and X-rays, although he was noted for his activity against nuclear weapons.He was one of the organizers of the Pugwash conference, of which he was general secretary (1957-1973) and, from 1988 until his death, president.In 1995 he received the Nobel Peace Prize, which he shared with the Pugwash conference that he chaired.

History Today Online

Search This Blog