In the 1700s, James Watt caused a revolution in transportation by improving steam engine technology.
He was a Scottish inventor and mechanical engineer. He made improvements on Thomas Newcomen's steam engine that was patented in 1698 and widely in use at the time of Watt's birth ( 1736).
It all started when Watt was given a model Newcomen engine to repair. He realized it was very inefficient and he began to find ways to improve its performance. He designed a separating condensing chamber for the engine to avoid huge losses of steam. He patented his improvements in 1769.
A unit of measurement of electrical and mechanical power - the watt - is named in his honor.