James Watt's Birthday
Next: January 19, 2027
The man behind every watt.
The story
Where it comes from
James Watt was born in Greenock, Scotland, on 19 January 1736, and this Story marks his birthday. He trained as a maker of mathematical instruments and opened a workshop at the University of Glasgow. In 1764, repairing a model of a Newcomen steam engine, he saw how much steam it wasted, and in May 1765 he hit on the answer: a separate condenser. With his partner Matthew Boulton he went on to build engines that used far less fuel and could turn the wheels of mills and factories, helping to power the Industrial Revolution.
How it's celebrated
There is no formal observance, but his birthday is a good moment to look at the label on a kettle or a light bulb, where his name is printed as the unit of power. It is also a fine day to explain to a child how steam can push a piston, and how a better idea can save fuel.
Did you know
- Watt did not invent the steam engine; he made it far more efficient, and the patent he took out in 1769 was for 'lessening the consumption of steam and fuel'.
- The watt was adopted as the international unit of power in 1960, equal to one joule of work per second.
- For eight years he worked as a land surveyor, marking out routes for canals across Scotland.
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