29 Interesting Engineer Facts that Will Blow Your Mind

By Karin Lehnardt, Senior Writer

Published October 5, 2025

An estimated 220 million old computers and other electronics are thrown away each year in the U.S. alone._[5]
One of greatest engineers of all time is Nikola Tesla. He is also one of the most underrated engineers and didn't receive credit for many of inventions, which include 3-phase electricity, the induction motor, and the Tesla coil._[5]
Engineer Thomas Edison holds a record 1,093 patents and is one of the prolific inventors in history. His inventions include the phonograph and the incandescent lightbulb._[10]

Archimedes' mathematical advances helped establish engineering as a science

The ancient Greek philosopher Archimedes is best known for his "Eureka" moment when he created a method to calculate the volume of irregularly-shaped objects by submerging them in water._[10]
Leonardo Da Vinci was ahead of his time in engineering. He drew images depicting the modern day helicopter and even concepts of concentrated solar power._[10]
Known as the "Father of the Railway," civil and mechanical engineer, George Stephenson developed and built early steam engines._[10]
While Elon Musk did not invent Tesla Motors of Solar City, he is known for his role as an investor them._[10]
The most important engineering inventions in history include the printing press, the compass, steel, the electric light, transistors, magnifying lenses, the steam engine, and the telegraph._[1]
Pennsylvania engineer, George W. Ferris created the first Ferris wheel in 1893. At the time, the 140-foot steel towers and 45-foot axle were the largest pieces of constructed steel._[9]

If it isn't broken, take it apart and fix it.

- Engineer's Motto

On May 31, 1889, the South Fork Dam in Johnstown Pennsylvania catastrophically failed, killing 2,209 people. Its engineering failure is due to inadequate repairs by the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club._[3]
The word "engineer" is derived from the Latin "ingenium" which means "cleverness" or "native talent,"_[7]
The Egyptian pyramid builder Imhotep is considered to be the first engineer known by name. He built the first Egyptian pyramids in 2700 B.C. However, before him, humans engineered tools, such as the wheel, lever, pulley, and other simple machines._[15]
Ismail al-Jazari was a scholar of the Islamic Golden Age who also served as chief engineer during the Artuqid dynasty. In his famous The Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices, he describes 100 mechanical devices he designed, including automata and several clocks._[7]

After the Ashtabula Horror, the coal-firThe engineering failure killed 92 of the 160 passengers

The Ashtabula River Train Wreck is one of worst engineering failures in history. In 1876, the Ashtabula Creek Bridge collapsed into a 70-foot gorge during a blizzard. After the crash, the stoves in the cabins caught fire and burned many of the survivors. The bridge designer later killed himself._[4]
Mechanical engineering is considered to be the broadest branch of engineering. It is the second oldest branch after civil engineering._[7]
The word "engineer" is from the Latin ingenium "innate, qualities, ability; inborn character."_[5]
Muslim inventor Marian Al-Astrulabi was a famous 10th century female astronomer and maker of astrolabes in Aleppo, in what is now northern Syria._[2]
Alice Perry (1906), Cecile Butticaz (1907), and Elisa Leonida Zamfirescu (1912), and Nina Cameron Graham (1912) were among the first European women to obtain a degree in engineering._[8]
In 2017, the Afghan Girls Robotic Team made history when they represented Afghanistan in the FIRST Global Challenge in Washington D.C. Overcoming war and poverty, they strove to symbolize a more "Progressive Afghanistan."_[11]
Some of the world's largest engineering projects include The International Space Station, the Al Maktoum International Airport, the South to North Water Transfer Project in China, and the New York Subway System._[6]

Algeria has the highest proportion of women graduates in engineering

Women make up only 28% of the workforce in STEM, and the gender gaps are highest in computer science and engineering._[8]
Algeria has one of the highest percentages of women engineers, at 48.5% of the country's engineering graduates. In the U.S., women make up 20.4%._[13]
Most airplanes are painted white because a light color reflects light, which makes it easier to keep the plane cool. It is easier to spot damage and oil spills, and it is cheaper than colored paint._[16]
The Great Wall of China is the longest man-made structure on Earth, stretching over 13,000 miles._[7]
The Burj Khalifa in Dubai is the tallest building in the world, at 2,722 feet high._[7]
The Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland is the largest machine ever built and spans over 17 miles._[7]
The Great Pyramid of Giza was the tallest man-made structure for 3,800 years._[7]
Engineers have created a self-healing concrete that repairs its own cracks using bacteria._[12]
The most expensive structure ever built is the International Space Station at over $100 billion._[14]