In the second half of the 20th century, the United States made colossal progress in the field of science, engineering, technology, and innovation. During the Cold War, the constant race for world dominance shaped practically the world we know today, and many inventions we use now on a regular basis are the product of this competitive contest between these superpowers. Yet, we know little about the faces behind such advancements, therefore in the text below, we summed up some of the most influential figures of European descent who catapulted our society into the future.
Albert Einstein
One of the most notable and probably most prominent figures known for his tremendous efforts in the field of physics and science is the German-born physicist Albert Einstein.
Born in 1879 in the little town of Ulm, to a Jewish family, attended his primary education in Munich as the family moved just three years after he was born. Though he had speech difficulties, Einstein was an A+ student, top of his class, and marked himself as a genius from a young age.
Later in his life, he moved to Switzerland and became an innovator especially interested in the fields of philosophy and mathematics. He rated patterns in his little workshops in Berne. His most notable works in those early years were closely related to the appliances of electromagnetic devices.
In the year 1932, Einstein fled Germany as the Nazi party was gaining unbelievable momentum and throughout the whole country, Jewish-born scientists, intellectuals, and thinkers were facing prosecution.
In the US, Einstein was free to work without fear and made immense progress establishing his now-iconic and famous theory of relativity, also his notable mass-energy equivalent. He was awarded a Nobel Prize in 1921, and after his death proclaimed “Person of the Century”. How did Einstein contribute to the world we know today?
The lasers we use today, for example, are based on his groundbreaking research on stimulated emission. Solar panels wouldn’t be the same without the law of the Photoelectric Effect. And one more thing, though less known, is the contribution of his theorem of fluctuation-dissipation on the latter stock market. More than enough is said, and his image is one of the most recognizable ones in the world.
James Collins
During the 17th and 18th centuries, Ireland faced oppression and brutal treatment from the then British Empire, the bloody conflicts led to famine, starvation, the deaths of millions. The United States was a safe haven for everyone fleeing any kind of prosecution and trying to make a new life for themselves. Many stayed with their family there and made astonishing contributions to the world. One such example is the relatively young inventor and more than a notable professor at MIT, James Collins.
His most famous work comes from the field of synthetic biology as he engineered programmable cells helping to diagnose and even treat life-threatening infections, genetic disorders, even inflammatory bowel diseases. At the young age of 56, he is already an acclaimed and leading biomedical engineer awarded with several prestigious trophies for his groundbreaking work.
He is well-known for some essential findings on antibiotic resistance and has yet to publish some of his best work. Though all this is impressive, there are many other famous Irish Americans worth mentioning because of their unique contribution to the world. Michael Collins was one of the members of the Apollo 11 mission, Simon Hullihen is referred to as the father of Oral Surgery, and Charles McBurney an astonishing medical innovator and pioneer. These are just some honorable mentions, as the list continues to grow due to the rich Irish legacy and ancestry of the United States.
John Ericsson
John Ericsson was a Swedish-born mechanical engineer who moved to the United States at the request of captain Robert Stockton because of his famous propeller design. Ericsson was born in the year 1803, to humble beginnings. He did not have a formal education, actually, the only kind of such education he received was during his service to the Swedish Army. After his initial success with the propeller design, Ericsson later went to New York and began working on new inventions.
One notable discovery was his design for hot air engines, which revolutionized boat transportation and made more powerful yet less demanding engines. This discovery was so well received by the public, it made him substantially wealthy, and this new financial standing allowed him to be completely dedicated to technology.
He made astonishing contributions to the US navy, even designing the first primitive torpedo technology and blueprints for some of the most famous battleships. He was given an honorable doctorate at Lund University and died in peace in 1889 at the age of 85.
Without the efforts of immigrant families traveling in quest of a better life and future, without the efforts of these individuals and others who gave selflessly to the world so that we might live in peace with all the conveniences of modern technology, the world we know today would not be the same. As Isaac Newton said, “If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants.”
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