Some nations have undoubtedly contributed more significantly to the invention of various technologies and concepts than others, often due to historical, cultural, and economic factors. Countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Japan are frequently highlighted for their prolific contributions to innovation, driven by periods of industrial growth, scientific investment, and global influence. Factors such as access to education, research funding, and political stability have played key roles in enabling these nations to excel in invention. For example, the Industrial Revolution, which began in Britain, sparked an era of transformative innovations. Similarly, the post-war economic boom in the United States led to groundbreaking developments in computing, medicine, and space exploration. However, it is essential to acknowledge that innovation exists worldwide, and many countries have significantly contributed to global progress, albeit on a different scale or in specific fields. Historical inequalities and resource distribution also mean that some nations’ contributions may be underrepresented in mainstream narratives.
THE INTERNET, IVF, LAWN MOWERS, CORK SCREWS, THE JET ENGINE AND EVEN CAT FLAPS, THE GREATEST BRITISH INVENTIONS AND DISCOVERIES OF ALL TIME REVEALED – BUT DID YOU KNOW THEY WERE BORN IN BRITAIN?
Researchers took a deep dive into the British discoveries and inventions that have helped shape the modern world, and found a surprising number of Brits had no idea they were invented on their own soil.
The Macintosh rain jacket, the hovercraft, the cat’s eye and the lawnmower were among the list of top British born ideas, which many Brits had no idea originated in the UK.
According to the study, 20 percent of Brits thought Bill Gates was the man who invented the World Wide Web, while a further 10 percent thought it might have something to do with Apple founder Steve Jobs.
In fact, it was British born Tim Berners-Lee who developed the Web in 1989, while working at CERN, a physics laboratory in Geneva, Switzerland as a means for scientists to share information automatically.
Other discoveries and inventions that we didn’t know originated in Britain were the jet engine, developed by Sir Frank Whittle in 1930, the unravelling of the DNA helix by Brits Rosalind Franklin and Francis Crick, as well as American James Watson, in 1953, and even the light bulb, which was created by James Swan in 1880.
88 percent didn’t know that the cat flap was, allegedly, invented in the UK by Sir Isaac Newton, so that his cat, Spithead, could come and go as he pleased while the great man carried out scientific experiments.
And as a nation we’re also responsible for the little-known Halifax Gibbet, which went on to become the French revolution’s most feared and famous method of execution, the guillotine.
And when it comes to other ground-breaking discoveries modern Brits seem to be just as confused.
Two in ten (20 percent) credited the USA with pioneering In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) treatment, whereas the team behind the discovery were in fact British: Jean Purdy, Robert Edwards and Patrick Steptoe.
Shockingly, an overwhelming 78 percent had never even heard of nurse and embryologist Purdy, who was part of the team which brought “test-tube-baby” Louise Brown into the world on 25th July, 1978.
The study was commissioned by Netflix to mark the launch of their new film, JOY, which tells the remarkable true story behind the birth of Louise Joy Brown in 1978 – the world’s first “test-tube baby” – and the tireless 10-year journey to make it possible.
Ben Taylor, director of JOY, which lands on Netflix today, Friday 22nd November said: ““Like so many people, prior to making the film, I wasn’t aware that In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) was a British invention.We’re delighted that Joy might be able to show, and educate, not only the nation but also the world about the magnificent and difficult journey that Jean, Bob and Patrick went through in order to make the birth of Louise Joy Brown possible in 1978. A world changing scientific breakthrough that has led to the birth of 12 million more babies and counting”
Worryingly, a third (34 percent) had never heard of Alexander Fleming the Scottish microbiologist, who discovered the world’s first broadly effective antibiotic, which he named Penicillin, while a further two thirds (64 percent) were unaware of mathematician and writer, Ada Lovelace who helped develop the “Analytical Engine” in 1842 – the world’s first computer.
Despite this, 62 percent of the 2,000 quizzed said that as a nation the British are famed for being inventive, with a further 79 percent insisting that Great Britain is a global leader in creativity.
More than eight in ten (85 percent) were proud of the impact British discoveries and inventions have had on lives throughout the world, so much so that 79 percent thought the country was still at the forefront of technological breakthroughs.
And when it came to which areas Brits would like to see the nation lead the way on, cancer research came top (56 percent), the environment came second (42 percent) and AI came third (32 percent)
BRITISH UK INVENTIONS AND DISCOVERIES – BUT DID YOU KNOW THEY WERE UK BORN?
1. The Macintosh rain jacket – (*96 percent of Brits had no idea it was invented in Britain) Charles Macintosh, 1823
2. The Hovercraft – 95 percent – Chrisopher Cockerell, 1955
3. The cat’s eye – 94 percent – Percy Shaw, 1934
4. Lawnmowers – 94 percent – Edward Beard Budding, 1830
5. Fire extinguishers – 94 percent – Ambrose Godfrey, 1723
6. The guillotine (Halifax Gibbet) – 94 percent – Unknown, 1280
7. Thermos flasks – 93 percent – Sir James Dewar, 1892
8. Matches – 93 percent – John Walker, 1826
9. Tires – 92 percent – Robert William Thomson, 1847
10. Stainless steel – 91 percent – Harry Brearley, 1913
11. The Telescope – 90 percent – Sir Isaac Newton, 1668
12. The corkscrew – 90 percent – Reverend Samuel Henshall, 1795
13. Cement – 89 percent – Joseph Aspdin, 1824
14. The cat flap – 88 percent – Sir Isaac Newton – date unknown
15. Antibiotics – 86 percent – Sir Alexander Flemming, 1928
16. The refrigerator – 85 percent – William Cullen, 1755
17. Colour TV – 85 percent – John Logie Baird, 1928
18. The bicycle – 85 percent – Kirkpatrick Macmillan, 1842
19. The flushing toilet – 85 percent – Sir John Harrington, 1596
20. The toaster – 84 percent – Alan Macmasters, 1893
21. DNA helix – 83 percent – Brits Rosalind Franklin, Francis Crick and American James Watson, 1953
22. The jet engine – 82 percent – Sir Frank Whittle, 1930
23. The computer – 79 percent – Ada Lovelace, 1842
24. The steam engine – 78 percent – Thomas Newcomen, 1712
25. The telephone – 75 percent – Alexander Grahan Bell, 1876
26. IVF – 70 percent – Robert Edwards, Patrick Steptoe & Jean Purdy, 1978
27. The internet – 70 percent – Tim Berners Lee, 1989
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