Donald Campbell CBE (23 March 1921 – 4 January 1967) was a British speed record breaker who set eight world land and water speed records in the 1950s and 1960s. He is best known for his successful attempts at breaking the world water speed record in the jet-powered hydroplane Bluebird K7.

Campbell was born into a wealthy family in London, England and developed a passion for speed from a young age. He began his record-breaking career in 1949, with a successful attempt at the United Kingdom land speed record. Over the following years, he continued to break records on land and water, including the world water speed record on several occasions.

However, Campbell's final attempt at the water speed record in 1967 ended in tragedy. While attempting to break his own record on Coniston Water in the Lake District of England, his boat, Bluebird K7, crashed at a speed of over 300 mph, killing Campbell instantly.

Despite his untimely death, Campbell's legacy lives on, and he is remembered as one of the greatest speed record breakers of all time.

Thomas Edison was an American inventor and businessman who is widely regarded as one of the most important figures in the history of technology. He was born on February 11, 1847, in Milan, Ohio, and died on October 18, 1931, in West Orange, New Jersey.

Edison is perhaps best known for his invention of the practical incandescent light bulb, which he patented in 1879. He also invented the phonograph, an early version of the movie camera, and the first commercially practical electric power system.

Throughout his life, Edison received over 1,000 patents for his inventions, including the carbon microphone, the alkaline storage battery, and the motion picture projector.

In addition to his many inventions, Edison was also a successful businessman. He founded the Edison Electric Light Company in 1878, which later became General Electric, one of the largest and most successful corporations in the world.

Edison's impact on technology and modern society is immeasurable. His inventions helped transform the way people live and work, and his innovations in electric power and lighting laid the groundwork for the modern energy industry.

Sir Isaac Newton was an English mathematician, physicist, and astronomer who is widely considered to be one of the most influential scientists in history. He was born on January 4, 1643, in Woolsthorpe, England, and died on March 31, 1727, in London.

Newton is perhaps best known for his laws of motion and his law of universal gravitation, which explain the behavior of objects in motion and the forces that govern the movement of celestial bodies. These laws, along with his development of calculus, laid the foundation for much of modern physics and engineering.

In addition to his work in physics, Newton made important contributions to the fields of optics, mathematics, and astronomy. He conducted experiments on the properties of light, discovered the principles of colour and light refraction, and built the first reflecting telescope.

Newton was also a prolific writer, producing works on theology, alchemy, and history, as well as his groundbreaking scientific discoveries. His most famous work, "Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica" (Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy), published in 1687, remains one of the most important scientific books ever written.

Newton was a Fellow of the Royal Society and served as its President from 1703 to 1727. He was knighted by Queen Anne in 1705 and is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential figures in the history of science.

Joseph Priestley was an English theologian, philosopher, chemist, and educator who is best known for his discovery of oxygen. He was born on March 13, 1733, in Birstall Fieldhead, England, and died on February 6, 1804, in Northumberland, Pennsylvania.

Priestley was a prolific writer and researcher who published over 150 works in a variety of fields, including theology, history, and science. He was particularly interested in the study of gases and conducted extensive experiments on the properties of air.

In 1774, Priestley discovered oxygen while conducting experiments on the properties of air. He observed that a candle burned more brightly in a closed container of air, and that a mouse placed in the same container lived longer than a mouse in a container without air. He concluded that there was a gas in the air that supported combustion and respiration, which he called "dephlogisticated air."

Priestley's discovery of oxygen was a major breakthrough in the field of chemistry and laid the groundwork for the development of modern theories of combustion and oxidation. He also discovered several other gases, including nitrogen dioxide and ammonia, and made important contributions to the study of photosynthesis.

In addition to his work in science, Priestley was a noted theologian and political thinker. He was a proponent of Unitarianism, an influential religious movement that rejected the doctrine of the Holy Trinity, and he was also an advocate for political reform and religious toleration.

Priestley's scientific and philosophical contributions continue to be studied and celebrated today, and he is widely regarded as one of the most important thinkers of the 18th century.

John Smeaton was an English civil engineer and mechanical engineer who is widely regarded as the father of civil engineering. He was born on June 8, 1724, in Austhorpe, England, and died on October 28, 1792, in Austhorpe.

Smeaton is best known for his work in the field of civil engineering, particularly his design of the third Eddystone Lighthouse off the coast of Cornwall. The lighthouse was a major engineering feat of its time and is still considered one of the greatest engineering achievements of the 18th century. Smeaton's design incorporated many innovative features, including a dovetailed masonry construction, which provided greater stability and resistance to the forces of wind and water.

Smeaton also made significant contributions to the development of waterwheels and water mills, and he designed and constructed several important bridges and canals throughout England, including the Calder and Hebble Navigation and the Aire and Calder Navigation.

In addition to his work as an engineer, Smeaton was a prolific writer and lecturer, and he played an important role in the development of engineering as a profession. He was a founding member of the Society of Civil Engineers (now the Institution of Civil Engineers), which was established in 1771, and he was elected its first president in 1771.

Smeaton's legacy as a pioneering engineer and influential figure in the development of civil engineering continues to be celebrated today, and he is widely regarded as one of the most important figures in the history of engineering.

Henry Winstanley was an English engineer and inventor who is best known for his construction of the first Eddystone Lighthouse off the coast of Cornwall. He was born in 1644 in Lancashire, England, and died on November 27, 1703, during the Great Storm of 1703 while working on the lighthouse.

Winstanley was a skilled inventor and engineer who designed and constructed a number of notable structures and machines throughout his career. He is perhaps best known for his work on the Eddystone Lighthouse, which was built on a treacherous rock formation off the coast of Cornwall to help guide ships safely through the area.

Winstanley's design for the lighthouse was innovative and ambitious, featuring multiple levels, a glass lantern room, and a system of reflectors and mirrors to amplify the light. The lighthouse was completed in 1699 and was considered a major engineering feat of its time.

However, tragedy struck just four years later when Winstanley and a group of workers were on the lighthouse during the Great Storm of 1703. The storm was one of the most severe in British history, and it caused widespread damage and destruction throughout the country. Winstanley and his crew were swept away by the storm, and the lighthouse was destroyed.

Despite this tragic end to his life and work, Winstanley's legacy as an innovative engineer and inventor continues to be celebrated today. His work on the Eddystone Lighthouse helped pave the way for future advancements in lighthouse design and construction, and he remains an important figure in the history of engineering.