In celebration of America 250, we’ll take a quick dive into how David Bushnell designed and built his submarine, known as the Turtle, which was the first vessel to be used to attempt an underwater attack. Learn how he solved the immense challenges of making a working submarine using the technology available in 1776, even though things didn’t go entirely according to plan.
In 1876, the first official World’s Fair in the United States, officially known as the International Exhibition of Arts, Manufactures, and Products of the Soil and Mine (or simply, the Centennial International Exhibition), was held in Philadelphia as part of the country’s 100th anniversary celebrations. To help transport attendees around the 3,000- acre Fairmount Park the West End Passenger Railway Company developed a rail system. However, the Agricultural and Horticultural Halls were not accessible by train and the company sought help from General Roy Stone to design a solution.
This post gives a brief description of the 79 CE eruption of Mount Vesuvius on the Bay of Naples, which destroyed several nearby cities. It goes on to focus on a four-volume work, one of first comprehensive studies of the site, which includes illustrated plates of sculptures and other artwork. This work also led to increased scholarship of and tourism to the area into the present day.
Did you know that George Washington is considered one of the first engineers in the U.S.? Learn about National Engineers Week and the Library's engineering resources for students and educators.
