Charles Gordon Curtis

Today is the birthday of Charles Gordon Curtis, born in Boston in 1860. After graduating with a civil engineering degree from Columbia University in 1881, he went to law school and started a patent law firm. But Curtis soon decided to make things that he could patent. He teamed with two friends to build electric motors, and then branched off on his own to found Curtis Electric Manufacturing Co. In 1896, Curtis patented the Curtis steam turbine, which offered tremendous size and weight advantages at a comparable price. In 1901 General Electric bought the land rights for the turbine, which helped drive the electric power boom of the early 20th century. The turbine was also used in ocean liners and naval vessels. Curtis later received the first patent for a gas turbine and developed torpedo propulsion systems.

Date in History: 20 April 1860