1781-1848

English railroad engineer who built some of the world's first railroad engines. Stephenson received little formal education, but became an enginewright and, in 1814, introduced his first steam locomotive. This machine was able to pull 30 tons of material more rapidly than a horse-drawn cart. Stephenson built many more engines, his most famous being the Rocket, which ran at the impressive speed of 36 miles per hour (58 kilometers per hour).