JULY 17 - BIRTHS
Gordon Gould
Born 17 Jul 1920; died 16 Sep 2005.
American physicist who coined the word "laser" from the initial letters of "Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation." Gould was inspired from his youth to be an inventor, wishing to emulate Marconi,
Nils Bohlin
Born 17 Jul 1920; died 26 Sep 2002
Swedish engineer who invented the familiar three-point lap and shoulder seatbelt which is considered one of the most important innovations in automobile safety. Bohlin left the aircraft industry, where he worked on jet ejector seats, including restraints, and joined AB Volvo in 1958 as safety engineer, where he invented and patented this device. In Aug 1959, Volvo was the first car manufacturer to introduce the three-point seat belt in their cars. They made this design freely available to other car manufacturers to save more lives. Bohlin holds several patents related to automotive and aviation design. After retiring form Volvo in 1985, he continued to give lectures and present papers relating to automotive restraint issues
Georges Lemaître
Born 17 Jul 1894; died 20 June 1966.
Georges (Henri) Lemaître was a Belgian astronomer and cosmologist, born in
Alexius Meinong
Born 17 Jul 1853; died 27 Nov 1920.
Alexius Meinong was an Austrian philosopher and psychologist who worked at the
Ephraim Shay
1880
Born 17 Jul 1839; died 19 Apr 1916
American logger who invented the Shay geared, small steam locomotive to haul heavy logging trains at low speeds over rough terrain with poorly-laid, uneven track, sharp curves, and grades up to 14 percent. His 1880 prototype had a steam boiler mounted amidships; fuel and water on opposite ends; and the unusual arrangement of two vertical cylinders. The wheels were driven by bevelled gears on a shaft. Power was transferred through a crankshaft and universal joints. On 14 Jun 1881, he was issued a
Sir Frederick Abel
Born 17 Jul 1827; died 6 Sep 1902.
Sir Frederick (Augustus) Abel was an English chemist and military explosives specialist who, with the chemist Sir James Dewar, invented cordite (1889). This smokeless gunpowder was later adopted as the standard explosive of the British army, and proved vital in WWI. Battles could now be fought without the obscuring smoke clouds of gunpowder weapons. Cordite was mixed from purified ingredients of nitroglycerine, nitrocellulose and petroleum jelly then extruded as cords. When dried, this explosive could be measured more precisely and handled more safely than gunpowder. Abel also studied dust explosions in coal mines, invented a device for testing the flash point of petroleum, and found a way to prevent guncotton from exploding.
Amanz Gressly
Born 17 Jul 1814; died 1865.
Swiss geologist and paleontologist who originated the study of stratigraphic facies when he discovered lateral differences in the character and fossil content of strata in the Jura Mountains, reflecting a variation of the original environment of deposition. The "Gressly's lizard" dinosaur was named Gresslyosaurus (1857) to honour Amanz Gressly. (to replace the preoccupied Dinosaurus Ruetimeyer 1856)