A short history of steam
From a spinning ball in Roman Egypt to turbine locomotives in Sweden.
The Industrial Revolution
Historian Arnold Toynbee dated Britain’s Industrial Revolution from 1760 to 1840. Encyclopaedia Britannica: Industrial Revolution
Steam engines powered locomotives, steamboats, steamships and factory machines. Encyclopaedia Britannica: Industrial Revolution
The timeline
- c. AD 62 Hero of Alexandria’s spinning steam ball. Hero flourished around AD 62. Encyclopaedia Britannica: Heron of Alexandria
- 1679 Papin’s steam digester. In 1679 Denis Papin invented his steam digester, an early pressure cooker. Encyclopaedia Britannica: Denis Papin
- 1698 Savery patents his steam pump. In 1698 Savery patented a steam pump: a closed vessel filled with water, with steam let in and then condensed. Encyclopaedia Britannica: Thomas Savery
- 1712 First recorded Newcomen engine. The first recorded Newcomen engine was put up near Dudley Castle, Staffordshire, in 1712. Encyclopaedia Britannica: Thomas Newcomen
- 1765 Watt thinks up the separate condenser. In May 1765 Watt came up with the separate condenser, his first and greatest invention. Encyclopaedia Britannica: James Watt
- 1769 Cugnot’s steam carriage for roads. Nicholas-Joseph Cugnot built a clumsy steam carriage for roads in France as early as 1769. Encyclopaedia Britannica: steam engine
- 1775 Boulton and Watt team up. In 1775 Watt and Boulton began a partnership that lasted 25 years. Encyclopaedia Britannica: James Watt
- 1781 The sun-and-planet gear. Watt’s sun-and-planet gear (1781) turned a shaft twice for every cycle of the engine. Encyclopaedia Britannica: James Watt
- 1782 Watt patents the double-acting engine. In 1782 Watt patented the double-acting engine, where the piston pushed as well as pulled. Encyclopaedia Britannica: James Watt
- 1786 Boulton makes coins by steam. In 1786 Boulton put steam power to work making coins. Encyclopaedia Britannica: Matthew Boulton
- 1787 John Fitch’s steamboat trial. American steamboats began in 1787, when John Fitch made a successful trial run. Encyclopaedia Britannica: steamboat
- 1791 The Pentrich engine is built. The Science Museum’s Pentrich engine, an atmospheric engine, was built by Francis Thompson in 1791. Science Museum blog: In pursuit of power
- 1802 Charlotte Dundas on the Forth and Clyde Canal. The first practical steamboat was the tug Charlotte Dundas, built by William Symington and tried on the Forth and Clyde Canal in Scotland in 1802. Encyclopaedia Britannica: steam engine
- 1804 Trevithick’s locomotive hauls 10 tons of iron. On 21 February 1804 a Trevithick engine won a bet by hauling 10 tons of iron and 70 men along 10 miles of tramway. Encyclopaedia Britannica: Richard Trevithick
- 1807 Fulton’s steam passenger boat. Robert Fulton put a steam engine in a passenger boat in the United States in 1807. Encyclopaedia Britannica: steam engine
- 1808 Catch-me-who-can runs near Euston Road. In 1808 his locomotive Catch-me-who-can ran on a circular track near Euston Road in London. Encyclopaedia Britannica: Richard Trevithick
- c. 1814 Puffing Billy is built. Puffing Billy, built in about 1814 by William Hedley, is the oldest surviving steam locomotive in the world. Science Museum blog: Steam train in Kensington Gardens
- 1829 Rocket wins at Rainhill. Rocket won the Rainhill Trials in October 1829, a public contest run by the Liverpool and Manchester Railway with £500 on offer. Science Museum blog: Stephenson’s Rocket returns to Newcastle
- 1833 Robert Stephenson runs the London and Birmingham Railway. In 1833 Robert became chief engineer of the London and Birmingham Railway. Encyclopaedia Britannica: Robert Stephenson
- 1884 Parsons invents the steam turbine. Sir Charles Parsons invented the modern steam turbine in 1884, passing steam through rows of rotors that get bigger as the steam expands. Encyclopaedia Britannica: steam turbine
- 1906 Turbines go into battleships. Navies put turbines in destroyers from about 1900 and in battleships from 1906, because they ran more smoothly. Encyclopaedia Britannica: steam turbine
- 1921 A Swedish turbine locomotive. People even tried turbine locomotives: one of the first was a Swedish engine built in 1921, but it came too late to beat diesel and electric trains. Encyclopaedia Britannica: steam turbine
Think you’ve got it? Try the Steam Timeline game.
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