“Englishman Jethro Tull developed a horse-drawn seed drill, which allowed seeds to be sowed in neat rows Tull’s drill laid the foundations for modern mechanised agriculture”
Few other countries can boast such a proud legacy of innovation and invention – for centuries, we have led the way on the development of new technologies. Some of the world-changing innovations birthed here in Britain.
In 1668, Englishman Sir Isaac Newton built the world’s first reflecting telescope Newton’s discovery was based on his understanding of prisms and optics. It allowed scientists to develop a sophisticated theory of colour, and paved the way for the modern telescope.
In 1701, Englishman Jethro Tull developed a horse-drawn seed drill, which allowed seeds to be sowed in neat rows Tull’s drill laid the foundations for modern mechanised agriculture, allowing farmers to plant more crops with fewer men – which increased productivity steeply.
In 1761, Englishman John Harrison invented the marine chronometer, a device which allowed sailors to accurately calculate longitude while at sea Harrison’s chronometer revolutionised navigation, and made long-distance sea travel much safer.
In 1764, James Hargreaves invented the ‘spinning jenny’, a textiles-weaving frame The spinning jenny allowed workers to produce cloth on an industrial scale, producing 8 times as much as an individual worker. This laid the foundations for industrial mass-production.
In 1776, Scotsman James Watt launched a new design for a steam engine Watt’s design built on earlier steam engines – but was far more efficient, both in terms of power produced and fuel consumption. Watt’s engine powered the industrial expansion of the 19th century.
In 1798, Englishman Edward Jenner pioneered the concept of the vaccine, producing an effective smallpox vaccination In Jenner’s time, smallpox killed around 10% of the global population. Jenner’s work has probably saved more lives than the work of any other individual.
In 1804, Cornishman Richard Trevithick invented the first working steam locomotive, which he tested in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales Trevithick’s locomotive was later improved upon by Robert Stephenson. Stephenson’s 1829 ‘Rocket’ formed the basis of the modern steam locomotive.
In 1807, Scotsman Alexander Forsyth pioneered the process of ‘percussion ignition’, the basis for modern firearms Forsyth’s work allowed weaponry to progress from the flintlock mechanisms of the 18th century – resulting in faster-firing and more effective guns.
In 1824, Englishman Joseph Aspdin patented the process of modern cement-mixing Aspdin’s patent made it far easier to build at-scale. His initial process was later improved upon by his son, William Aspdin, who created a product more akin to today’s ‘Portland cement’.
In 1841, Scotsman Alexander Bain patented the first ever electric clock Bain’s electrical clock enabled more accurate timekeeping – as, unlike older models, his clock did not require consistent adjustment. Bain also worked on an early fax machine, from 1843 to 1846.
In 1876, Scotsman Alexander Graham Bell received a patent for the first modern telephone On 10th March 1876, the first intelligible telephone call was made. On 10th August 1876, Bell made the first long-distance call, from Brantford, Ontario to Paris, Ontario.
“Welshman Edgar Purnell Hooley patented tarmac Hooley’s design combined tar and macadam, a paving material invented in the 1820s by Scotsman John McAdam. Today, about 70% of the world’s paved roads are made of tarmac”
In 1878, Englishman Joseph Swan produced the first successful lightbulb Swan’s bulbs were the first used to illuminate homes and public buildings – including London’s Savoy Theatre, in 1881. Swan was also responsible for producing early electric safety lamps for miners.
In 1902, Welshman Edgar Purnell Hooley patented tarmac Hooley’s design combined tar and macadam, a paving material invented in the 1820s by Scotsman John McAdam. Today, about 70% of the world’s paved roads are made of tarmac.
In 1928, penicillin was discovered by Scotsman Alexander Fleming Penicillin was the world’s first antibiotic, and was critical in the development of modern anti-bacterial medicine. An estimated 500 million lives have been saved by Fleming’s invention.
In 1926, the first working television was invented by Scotsman John Logie Baird Baird also achieved the first trans-Atlantic TV transmission in 1928, and the first colour TV in 1944. Baird’s work was also instrumental in the development of modern fibre-optics.
In 1930, Englishman Frank Whittle invented the first modern jet engine, patenting his design in 1932 Whittle was an RAF pilot officer, with a knack for engineering. His engine first flew in 1941 – and would go on to revolutionise air travel.
“Englishman Tim Berners-Lee developed the World Wide Web While WWW was not the first ‘internet’, it did allow the internet to go global”
In 1943, a team of British codebreakers designed the ‘Colossus’ computer, the world’s first programmable digital computer Colossus was initially designed a codebreaking tool – but it would serve as the foundation for modern computing in the post-war years.
In 1952, British aviation firm de Havilland flew the world’s first commercial jet liner, the Comet The Comet had first flown in 1949, but debuted commercially three years later. This marked a new era in civil aviation, and birthed modern air travel.
And in 1989, Englishman Tim Berners-Lee developed the World Wide Web While WWW was not the first ‘internet’, it did allow the internet to go global. Today, around 5.3 billion people use the internet, a development which has totally revolutionised how we live and work.
“Our energy policy makes it impossible to develop energy-intensive industries like AI. Our regulatory policy stifles innovation and creativity”
For literally centuries, the British have been at the cutting-edge of innovation and technology. From modern transportation to modern medicine, the British built the world that we live in today. Given the quality of our human capital, we should still be leading the way…
…but thanks to policy, we risk falling behind. Our planning system makes it impossible to build anything, including new lab space. Our energy policy makes it impossible to develop energy-intensive industries like AI. Our regulatory policy stifles innovation and creativity.
Many of the great innovations in this thread would have been impossible to develop today. Most importantly, we shouldn’t shy away from technological progress. Our greatness was largely the result of our willingness to embrace and advance change, innovation, and modernity.
If we want to be great again, we must embrace the future – and allow the natural quality of our people to flourish. That means less regulation, cheaper energy, and more enthusiasm for change. We’ve built the modern world before – and we can do it again
Reproduced with kind permission of Sam Bidwell, Director of the Next Generation Centre at the Adam Smith Institute, Associate Fellow at the Henry Jackson Society, although views are his own. Sam can be found on X/Twitter, on Substack, and can be contacted at [email protected]. This article was originally published as a X/Twitter Thread at https://x.com/sam_bidwell/status/1867562871347196172.