STEM Discoverers and Discoveries

  • 1543

    Andreas Versalius

    Andreas Versalius
    Versalius is known as the father of modern human anatomy and wrote the book "Fabrica" on human anatomy. Modern human anatomy would not be the same without Versalius.
  • Telescope

    Telescope
    Italian physicist Galileo was the first person to point a telescope skyward. He could see mountains and craters on the moon. This discovery opened up the universe.
  • Robert Hooke

    Robert Hooke
    Robert Hooke published the book "Lectures of Spring" which detailed what is now known as Hooke's Law. The law states that force required to extend or compress a spring is proportional to the distance of that extension or compression. His law is commonly used in science today.
  • Period: to

    Ben Franklin

    Ben Franklin discovered positive and negative electric charges and that storm clouds are full of negative charges. Franklin's work has impacted the electricity world greatly.
  • Celsius Thermometer

    Celsius Thermometer
    Andres Celsius of Sweden created the Celsius scale (freezing point of water at 0 degrees). The Celsius scale is the most common measure of temperature in the science world.
  • Steam Engine

    Steam Engine
    James Watt revolutionized the steam engine by adding a second condenser. The steam engine is still in use today and led to other inventions such as the train.
  • Submarine

    Submarine
    Robert Fulton created the first mechanical submarine. Submarines are valuable to the military and the science and deep sea exploration worlds.
  • Protractor

    Protractor
    The protractor was invented by US Naval Captain Joseph Huddart. The protractor is now a common math tool.
  • John Dalton

    John Dalton
    John Dalton wrote a book that stated that everything is made of atoms. Science would be completely different without Dalton.
  • Battery

    Battery
    English chemist John F. Daniell developed the modern battery that held a steadier current than former batteries. This changed the use of energy forever.
  • Fax Machine

    Fax Machine
    Alexander Bain of Scotland received a British patent for the fax machine. The fax machine recently fell out of popularity but is still used today.
  • Gregor Mendel

    Gregor Mendel
    Gregor Mendel is known as the father of modern genetics. He established the Law of Segregation (dominant and recessive genes) and the Law of Independent Assortment. He used pea plants for his experiments but proposed they would work with humans too. Mendel's research is used today with genetics.
  • Lightbulb

    Lightbulb
    Thomas Edison focused on the filament of the light bulb to create the modern light bulb. Light bulbs are an important part of our everyday lives.
  • Geiger Counter

    Geiger Counter
    The Geiger Counter, invented by Hans Geiger, measures radioactivity levels. The Geiger Counter is still a common tool today.
  • Penicillin

    Penicillin
    Penicillin was accidentally discovered by Alexander Fleming in a petri dish growing mold. He discovered the mold could kill harmful bacteria. This discovery helped medicine and keep people healthier.
  • Radar

    Radar
    Sir Robert Watson-Watt created radar to detect where military targets were located. Radar is now commonly used among all militaries.
  • Helicopter

    The VS-300, the first modern helicopter, took off form Stratford, Connecticut and was designed by Igor Sikorsky. The first free flight (without being tied to the ground) happened on May 13, 1940. Helicopters became big during the Korean and Vietnam wars and are still used today in the military. Helicopters are also used by hospitals and med-centers to quickly transport patients.
  • Period: to

    John Craig Venter

    J. Craig Venter is a geneticist, biochemist and businessman who sequenced the human genome. Venter is continuing his work even today.
  • World Wide Web

    World Wide Web
    British computer scientist Sir Tim Berners-Lee created the first website on the World Wide Web and also created rules that are still in effect today.
  • Kary Banks Mullis

    Kary Banks Mullis
    Kary Mullis received the Nobel Peace prize in chemistry for his invention of the polymerase chain reaction. Mullis is still doing research today.
  • iPhone

    iPhone
    Invented by Apple, the iPhone 2G was first introduced by Steve Jobs. The iPhone has changed cellular phones forever and is an extremely popular product today.