9. James Watt’s steam engine powered the Industrial Revolution
James Watt did not invent the steam engine as he is often credited, rather he developed improvements which made the engine practical. He also was the first to measure the power developed by his engines by comparison with the motive power of horses, which he called horsepower. His improvements eventually allowed steam to power ships, locomotives, and the engines which drove manufacturing systems of all types. Most of the developments using Watt’s steam engines occurred after his lifetime had ended, when metallurgical advances allowed for the development of more reliable boilers, though he lived long enough to enjoy an excursion on a steam powered paddle wheeler which was powered by the engine of his design.