Historical FiguresEngineer, Inventor
Rudolf Christian Karl Diesel
1858 - 1913
Inventor of the compression‑ignition Diesel engine
Quick Facts
Born
1858
Died
1913
Profession
Engineer, Inventor
Nationality
German
Biography
Diesel, educated in Munich and Paris, sought greater efficiency than steam. His 1897 prototype at MAN Augsburg achieved 26% efficiency, revolutionising transport and industry. Mysteriously vanished overboard on a 1913 Channel crossing.
Historical Significance
Diesel engines power shipping, locomotives and trucks, shaping global commerce
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