Famous Inventors Born in August!

Niels H. Abel

Date of Birth: August 5, 1802

Norwegian mathematician who invented Abel’s Comparisons

His most famous result is proving the impossibility of solving the general quintic equation with radicals, a problem unsolved for over 250 years. He also advanced the field of elliptic functions and discovered Abelian functions. Despite living in poverty and working for only six or seven years, Abel made significant discoveries before dying of tuberculosis at 26. The Abel Prize in mathematics, proposed in 1899 and first awarded in 2003, is named in his honor.

Louis Hazeltine

Date of Birth: August 7, 1886

inventor of the neutrodyne circuit that made the radio possible. 

Until the tetrode was invented in 1926, radios relied on triode tubes. Triodes often caused unwanted feedback from the tube’s plate (output element) to the grid (input element), similar to microphone feedback causing a howling noise. This forced manufacturers to operate the tubes at lower gains, reducing radio sensitivity. In 1922, Louis Hazeltine invented the neutrodyne circuit, which neutralized this feedback, allowing for higher gain and improved radio performance. This innovation significantly advanced radio technology and made radios more reliable and effective.

William A. Fowler

Date of Birth: August 9, 1911

Astrophysicist who won the Nobel Prize in 1983

Fowler is renowned for his theoretical and experimental research into nuclear reactions occurring within stars and the resulting energy and elements produced. His most notable work involved explaining how chemical elements are synthesized within stars as they evolve, a process known as stellar nucleosynthesis. This work laid the foundation for understanding the formation of chemical elements in the universe, earning Fowler the Nobel Prize for his pivotal studies on the nuclear reactions critical to this process.

Steve Wozniak

Date of Birth: August 11, 1950

Computer inventor and the co-founder of Apple Computers.

Apple I (1976): Designed the first Apple computer, a pioneering single-board computer.

Apple II (1977): Created one of the first mass-produced microcomputers with a color display and expansion slots, making it popular for personal and business use.

Disk II (1978): Developed a floppy disk drive for the Apple II, enhancing data storage and retrieval.
Known for minimizing complexity and maximizing functionality, reducing chip count to make computers more affordable and reliable.

John Logie Baird 

Date of Birth: August 13, 1888

Scottish inventor of a television system.

First Public Demonstration of Television (1926): Baird conducted the world’s first public demonstration of a working television system on January 26, 1926, in London.

Infrared Television (1926): Baird invented a system for capturing images in low light using infrared rays, leading to “noctovision.”

First Video Recording System (1927): Baird developed “Phonovision,” the first system to record video images on phonograph records.

First Transatlantic Television Transmission (1928): Baird successfully transmitted the first television picture across the Atlantic from London to New York.

Color Television (1928): Baird demonstrated the first color television transmission using a mechanical system with spinning discs and filters.