Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel FRS , was an English mechanical and civil engineer who is considered one of the most ingenious and prolific figures in engineering history, one of the 19th century engineering giants, and one of the greatest figures of the Industrial Revolution, changed the face of the English landscape with his groundbreaking designs and ingenious constructions. Brunel built dockyards, the Great Western Railway, a series of steamships including the first propellerdriven transatlantic steamship and numerous important bridges and tunnels. His designs revolutionised public transport and modern engineering.
The son of French civil engineer Sir Marc Isambard Brunel and Sophia Kingdom, Isambard Kingdom Brunel was born onApril 1806 in Britan Street, Portsea, Portsmouth, Hampshire, where his father was working on blockmaking machinery. He had two older sisters, Sophia and Emma, and the whole family moved to London in 1808 for his fathers work. Brunel had a happy childhood, despite the familys constant money worries, with his father acting as his teacher during his early years. His father taught him drawing and observational techniques from the age of four and Brunel had learned Euclidean geometry by eight. During this time he also learned fluent French and the basic principles of engineering. He was encouraged to draw interesting buildings and identify any faults in their structure.
Source: Wikipedia