The 50 Greatest Inventions From Britain

Here is the Radio Times list of the 50 greatest British inventions, in chronological order.

Reflecting telescope: Isaac Newton, 1668

Seed drill: Jethro Tull, 1701

Marine chronometer: John Harrison, 1761

Spinning frame: Richard Arkwright, 1768

Toothbrush: William Addis, c. 1770

Soda water: Joseph Priestley, 1772

Hydraulic press: Joseph Bramah, 1795

Steam engine: Richard Trevithick, 1801

Glider: George Cayley, 1804

Tension-spoked wheel: George Cayley, 1808

Tin can: Peter Durand, 1810

Modern fire extinguisher: George William Manby, 1818

Electric motor: Michael Faraday, 1821

Waterproof material: Charles Macintosh, 1823

Cement: Joseph Aspdin, 1824

Passenger railway: George Stephenson, 1825

Lawnmower: Edwin Beard Budding, 1827

Photography: William Henry Fox Talbot, 1835

Electric telegraph: Charles Wheatstone & William Cooke, 1837

Chocolate bar: JS Fry & Sons, 1847

Hypodermic syringe: Alexander Wood, 1853

Synthetic dye: William Perkin, 1856

Bessemer process: Henry Bessemer, 1856

Linoleum: Frederick Walton, 1860

Sewage system: Joseph Bazalgette, 1865

Modern Torpedo: Robert Whitehead, 1866

Telephone: Alexander Graham Bell, 1876

Light Bulb: Joseph Swan, 1880

Steam turbine: Charles Parsons, 1884

Safety bicycle: John Kemp Stanley, 1885

Pneumatic tyre: John Boyd Dunlop, 1887

Thermos flask: Sir James Dewar, 1892

Electric vacuum cleaner: Hubert Cecil Booth, 1901

Disc Brakes: Frederick William Lanchester, 1902

Stainless Steel: Harry Brearley, 1913

Military tank: Ernest Swinton, 1914

Television: John Logie Baird, 1925

Catseye: Percy Shaw, 1933

Jet Engine: Frank Whittle, 1937

Electronic programmable computer: Tommy Flowers, 1943

Hovercraft: Christopher Cockerell, 1953

Automatic kettle: Peter Hobbs, 1955

Float Glass: Alastair Pilkington, 1959

Hip Replacement: John Charnley, 1962

Carbon fibre: Royal Aircraft Establishment engineers, 1963

Collapsible baby buggy: Owen Maclaren, 1965

ATM: John Shepherd-Barron, 1967

World Wide Web: Tim Berners-Lee, 1989

Wind-up radio: Trevor Baylis, 1991

Steri-spray: Ian Helmore, c. 2008

Readers can nominate their own suggestions on the Radio Times website.

SEE ALSO: 20 Everyday Things We Have Because Of NASA

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