[Mars]

The machine gun, the ironclad warship, the car, and the jet liner were all American inventions. That suggests to me that our education system has, at some point in the past, worked.

[Kosh]

The machine gun, the ironclad warship, the car, and the jet liner were all American inventions. That suggests to me that our education system has, at some point in the past, worked.

Back when those things were invented, our education system was totally rote driven.

[MarkN]

The machine gun, the ironclad warship, the car, and the jet liner were all American inventions. That suggests to me that our education system has, at some point in the past, worked.

But it doesn't work now as can be seen from the fact that the ironclad warship (french, 1859), the car (German, 1885), and jet liner (British, 1949) are not american inventions. However, the controllable aeroplane, production line, the motorbike, toilet paper and the telephone are.

[BloodEagle]

The machine gun, the ironclad warship, the car, and the jet liner were all American inventions. That suggests to me that our education system has, at some point in the past, worked.

But it doesn't work now as can be seen from the fact that the ironclad warship (french, 1859), the car (German, 1885), and jet liner (British, 1949) are not american inventions. However, the controllable aeroplane, production line, the motorbike, toilet paper and the telephone are.

Don't forget peanut butter.

---

I thought that the ironclad was invented by the Confederacy during the Civil War.... I suppose that I shouldn't trust the History Channel. :/

[Kosh]

jet liner (British, 1949)

Jet aircraft in general were German inventions.

[Colonol Dekker]

Sheer crap. . . .
 
HMS warrior was the first Ironhulled warship.  An Englishmans research inspired the V rocket program and without an internal combustion engine none of you would have any cars.
 
Now get back onto education before the admin hat comes off and my mr frown hat goes on.

[karajorma]

Actually the French were first. The British were just better (Warrior was much larger than La Gloire).

[Mars]

History channel lies 

Just goes to show . . . (this) American is apparently (historically) illiterate.

The History channel really did say that the first Ironclads were from the American Civil War, I saw it on a video of theirs just today. It must be said though, that although Europe apparently developed the idea, the American Civil War did influence their design - according to the wiki.

Well, at least we have napalm, the atom bomb and machine guns - Americans are at the very good at devising ways of killing people at any rate.

[NGTM-1R]

Sheer crap. . . .
 
HMS warrior was the first Ironhulled warship.  An Englishmans research inspired the V rocket program and without an internal combustion engine none of you would have any cars.
 
Now get back onto education before the admin hat comes off and my mr frown hat goes on.

Iron hulled and ironclad are not the same thing. Iron hulls were not at all unusual by that point in history, but they were not armor, just a wrapper to keep the water out. Warrior is usually described as the first ironclad, but nobody's ever going to remember Warrior for its service history, unlike the Merrimack/Virginia. There is much to be said for proving the concept.

And the lineage of HMS Dreadnaught and pretty much every warship from the late 1800s until the ship-to-ship missile killed the gunship be traced more or less directly to USS Monitor.

[Colonol Dekker]

Split

Iron hulled and ironclad are not the same thing. Iron hulls were not at all unusual by that point in history, but they were not armor, just a wrapper to keep the water out. Warrior is usually described as the first ironclad, but nobody's ever going to remember Warrior for its service history, unlike the Merrimack/Virginia. There is much to be said for proving the concept.

Still got there before the "confederates" though right?

[kalnaren]

Actually, the British were the first with jet propulsion. A man named Frank Whittle pioneered the idea. The RAF didn't think much of it, so he went to Germany to do his work. The Germans were the first nation to fly a jet propelled aircraft (the British had the Gloster Meteor in service before the Messerschmitt Me 262 however, but never used it in combat against other aircraft). The Avro company was the first to fly a jet airliner. Contrary to popular perception, Americans didn't invent everything 

[TrashMan]

An Englishmans research inspired the V rocket program

Who, what, where?

EDIT: got the answer. Well, you wouldn't believe how many invention can be ascribed to different people. I heard the zeppeling was made by a croat first. I also hear Eddison stole half his inventions from Tesla. I heard a lot of things about a lot of inventions and inventors. I guess every country wants to claim things as their own.

Personally, I don't give a damn who invented X.

[Mika]

History channel lies 

Just goes to show . . . (this) American is apparently (historically) illiterate.

The History channel really did say that the first Ironclads were from the American Civil War, I saw it on a video of theirs just today. It must be said though, that although Europe apparently developed the idea, the American Civil War did influence their design - according to the wiki.

This is not actually the first time I hear or notice that History channel is incorrect. They are usually small details that seem to boost American ego (note: this not meant in a US bashing way, just an outside comment). Try watching Russian history channel to see how some incorrect small details grow to epic proportions in those programs.

By the way, statements like "we invented that and that and that" are pretty dangerous ones - and phrases like these are one of the reasons Europeans are not too warm towards Americans. (Though I find it also irritating when Chinese say it). There is so many people on Earth that it would be a wonder if nobody else had thought of it also.

Mika

[karajorma]

History channel lies 

Just goes to show . . . (this) American is apparently (historically) illiterate.

The History channel really did say that the first Ironclads were from the American Civil War, I saw it on a video of theirs just today. It must be said though, that although Europe apparently developed the idea, the American Civil War did influence their design - according to the wiki.

The first battle involving ironclads was in the American Civil War. You sure they didn't mention that?

[Dark RevenantX]

Yeah, I'm doing a major project involving the Virginia and the Monitor...

The first ironclad was indeed French.  However, the first battle involving an ironclad belonged to the Virginia (aka Merrimack).  The first battle involving two ironclads attacking each other was shortly thereafter, with the Virginia and the Monitor.  Both failed to do much damage to each other, though.

[Polpolion]

What's the definition of an ironclad? The Merrimack was nothing more than an iron/steel/whatever coated wooden ship, but the monitor was actually an all metal ship. Are they still both ironclads, or is one like a demi-ironclad?

[Colonol Dekker]

Well ironclad more or less means "Iron covered" so an all steel one would be a non-starter..

[StarSlayer]

Well i think the CSS Virginia was classified as a ram.  If i recall most of the confederate "iron clads" were designed as rams to go a break the Anaconda blockade where the US ironclads, like the Monitor types and Eads boats were more gunships.  Merrimack/Virginia was a salvaged frigate hull that they retrofitted into the ironclad ram, the Monitor was built keel up for its purpose.

[Martinus]

Personally, I don't give a damn who invented X.

It's very important when you're engaged in a game of oneupmanship.

[BloodEagle]

Personally, I don't give a damn who invented X.

It's very important when you're engaged in a game of oneupmanship.