To discover a few fascinating facts about one of the country’s most famous engineers and inventors, simply continue reading to discover a few fun facts about the Swedish American inventor John Ericsson.
6 Fascinating facts about John Ericsson:
John Ericsson was born in Sweden:
Although Ericsson is a Swedish American inventor and engineer, he was born in Sweden in 1803. Ericsson was born in the city of Langbanshyttan and was inspired to pursue a career as an engineer and inventor as he father was in the mining industry and Ericsson was fascinated by heavy machinery. By the age of 11 Ericsson had built his first miniature saw mill.
By the age of 12 Ericsson was offered a place in the Cadet Corps of Mechanical Engineers:
At age 11 Ericsson’s natural ability was noticed by a prestigious engineer Count Platten, who offered Ericsson a place in the prestigious Cadet Corps of Mechanical Engineers, despite his young age.
By age 16 Ericsson was put in charge of 600 operatives:
By the tender age of 16 Ericsson was put in charge of 600 soldier operatives and was put to work designing mechanical drawings for an important canal project.
Ericsson moved to the USA in 1839:
By 1839 the US military approached Ericsson to invite him to move to the USA and to take up a position with the US military. As his mechanical drawings and inventions had made Ericsson one of the most talented, respected engineers and inventors in the military field.
In 1861 Ericsson designed his first iron clad war ship:
By 1861 Ericsson had designed his first iron clad war ship, which was used by the US government in the Civil War, against the Confederates. Ericsson’s design was special as it featured many of his inventions.
There is a John Ericsson statue which is located in New York:
There is a statue of John Ericsson which is located in New York City, which was originally erected back in 1903. The statue was constructed a few years after Ericsson’s death in 1889. The sculptor who was commissioned to create a sculpture of John Ericsson as a memorial to the life and career of Ericsson was Johnathan Hartley Scott. The bronze statue of John Ericsson is larger than life and a testament to his brilliant career.
So next time you’re in New York it’s a great idea to visit the brilliant bronze statue of John Ericsson. Especially now you know a bit of information about his amazing, inspirational career.
