Wherever we go in the world, we bump into Hungarians. If not
personally, then through their inventions and life achievements.
There are many ordinary objects used all over the world that have
been invented or made popular by Hungarians, even if most people
do not realise this. We are used to the comfort that surrounds
us at home, in our offices, or in our cars and on trains, but we
do not often think about where all this comes from. Yet, we should
be thankful to those inventors who gave us the ball-point pen,
the light bulb or the film-camera. Having mentioned different means
of transport, the first name that needs to be noted is Kálmán
Kandó, who invented and realised three-phase hauling for
railways. His invention was first put in use in Italy, where the
first electrified trainline was built using the method invented
by Kandó. Another Hungarian revolutioniser in transport
was Donát Bánki, who invented the carburetter, which
has remained an indispensable part of cars ever since. His invention
was first presented at the World Expo in Paris in 1900. The name
of József Galamb is associated with the beginnings of mass
production, while György Jendrassik invented low-capacity,
light diesel and gas turbines and motor trains and track inspection
trains run by engines Jendrassik had developed.
The
first master of air travel was definitely Dávid Schwarz
- in spite of the fact that aerial navigation is not associated
with him nowadays. Yet, it was Schwarz who invented the aluminium-made
airship, which became well-known later through Zeppelin. The Hungarian
inventor did not live to see the day when the first test flight
was held. Zeppelin bought the plans from Schwarz's widower and
made this method of transport world famous. Tibor Kármán
was also experimenting in the air: he was an important researcher
of flight at above the speed of sound and of modern rocket technology.
Another Hungarian who made his mark as a basic researcher was Ányos
Jedlik, who had built a dynamo before Siemens did, and who prepared
plans for a sodawater producing machine. József Eötvös
became world famous for a pendulum named after him, which represented
a great step forward in oil exploration. János Neumann put
down the basics of information technology, one of his famous conclusions
being that the brain does not use the language of computers. János
György Kemény asociated the BASIC language he had developed
to this idea. Albert Szent-Györgyi received a Nobel-prize
for the formula of hezuronic acid and for vitamin C, which has
become widely available in thousands of variations ever since.
When Leó Szilárd was preparing his plans for a nuclear
reactor, it never crossed his mind that his creation would be used
in a war one day. He sent the description of nuclear reactors to
the Physical Review in 1940 and the US government bought the patent
for one dollar. The rising middle class in Hungary in the early
1900s could enjoy a series of new articles for personal use. János
Irinyi gave households matches that made the use of open flames
much safer.
Tivadar
Puskás brought them closer to each other by inventing the
telephone exchange and then later the telephonograph, a predecessor
of the wired radio. Dezsõ Korda gave them the world receiver
by inventing the rotating plate condenser which enabled continuous
tuning. The tungsten lamp, also called incandescent lamp, was the
result of cooperation between Sándor Just, Ferenc Hanaman
and Imre Bródy, researchers of the Tungsram laboratory.
Semi-automatic cameras and film-cameras were also designed by Hungarians
- József Mihályi and Ödön Riszdorfer. Mihályi's
Super Kodak Six 20 camera was first presented in the New York World
Expo in 1939. The slide projector and the inflammable film are
also Hungarian inventions. Ottó Bláthy was the inventor
of the kilowatt-hour meter, or electric meter. In cooperation with
other researchers, he created the first transformer. Dénes
Mihály invented the predecessor of the talking film and
the television, while the first colour TV used in practice was
the creation of another Hungarian inventor Péter Károly
Goldmark, who was also involved in developing the first microgroove
record-player. And to continue the list, stereo broadcasting is
another Hungarian invention. László József
Bíró patented the ball-point pen , Dávid Gestetner
introduced the duplicator or stencil plate, while Dénes
Gábor invented holography. This list could be continued
for long because we may find many more outstanding Hungarians in
all fields of history, science and art. We should mention such
great figures of Hungarian music as Kodály and Bartók,
the renowned poets Sándor Petõfi and Attila József,
and the great politicians István Széchenyi or Lajos
Kossuth would also deserve a few words. But our room is limited,
so this time we had to confine ourselves to inventors. We believe
that they are usually the least remembered in spite of the fact
that their great inventions surround us each and every day.
Tivadar
Puskás brought them closer to each other by inventing the
telephone exchange and then later the telephonograph, a predecessor
of the wired radio. Dezsõ Korda gave them the world receiver
by inventing the rotating plate condenser which enabled continuous
tuning. The tungsten lamp, also called incandescent lamp, was the
result of cooperation between Sándor Just, Ferenc Hanaman
and Imre Bródy, researchers of the Tungsram laboratory.
Semi-automatic cameras and film-cameras were also designed by Hungarians
- József Mihályi and Ödön Riszdorfer. Mihályi's
Super Kodak Six 20 camera was first presented in the New York World
Expo in 1939. The slide projector and the inflammable film are
also Hungarian inventions. Ottó Bláthy was the inventor
of the kilowatt-hour meter, or electric meter. In cooperation with
other researchers, he created the first transformer. Dénes
Mihály invented the predecessor of the talking film and
the television, while the first colour TV used in practice was
the creation of another Hungarian inventor Péter Károly
Goldmark, who was also involved in developing the first microgroove
record-player. And to continue the list, stereo broadcasting is
another Hungarian invention. László József
Bíró patented the ball-point pen , Dávid Gestetner
introduced the duplicator or stencil plate, while Dénes
Gábor invented holography. This list could be continued
for long because we may find many more outstanding Hungarians in
all fields of history, science and art. We should mention such
great figures of Hungarian music as Kodály and Bartók,
the renowned poets Sándor Petõfi and Attila József,
and the great politicians István Széchenyi or Lajos
Kossuth would also deserve a few words. But our room is limited,
so this time we had to confine ourselves to inventors. We believe
that they are usually the least remembered in spite of the fact
that their great inventions surround us each and every day.