Quote: Death - 2010.03.15. 15:02:26 Which nation invented parachute, torpedo, neck-tie and 1st mechanical pen?
Americans
British
Italians
Croats*
There are quite a few misunderstandings regarding inventions. The Q should go.
A ballpoint pen (also eponymously known in British English and Australian English as a biro and pronounced /ˈbaɪroʊ/ BYE-roh in Britain and Australia but sometimes /ˈbɪəroʊ/ BEER-oh elsewhere, named after its credited, though contested, inventor László Bíró) is a modern writing instrument.
The first usage of the term torpedo to refer to a naval explosive was by American inventor Robert Fulton.
The first torpedo designed to attack a specific target was the spar torpedo invented by by E. C. Singer, a private engineer who worked on secret projects for the benefit of the Confederate States of America.
The modern parachute was invented in the late 18th century by Louis-Sébastien Lenormand in France, who made the first recorded public jump in 1783.
And finally, the necktie was "invented" by croatians.
Nice try. However, there are no misunderstandings(well, maybe one)...
Faust Vrancic, born in Sibenik in 1551, died in Venice 1617, (...) His most interesting invention was, certainly, a parachute or “Homo volans” (The Flying Man) as called by Vrancic himself. Faust Vrancic performed a jump with his parachute somewhere in Venice in order to test it. This fact is explicitely stated in a book written by English bishop John Willkins (1614-1672), secretary of the Royal Society in London, only 30 years after the jump. The title of his book which contains this important testimony about Faust Vrancic is Mathematical Magic of the Wonders that may be Performed by Mechanical Geometry, part I: Concerning Mechanical Powers Motion, part II, Deadloss or Mechanical Motions, published in London in 1648.
that's for the parachute...
this is for the pen:
http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7682/1/E-Croatian-invented-worlds-first-mechanical-pencil-100-years-ago.html
and
http://inventors.about.com/od/pstartinventors/a/Croatian.htm
there are of course, more...
This is for the torpedo (the only thing that might be debated..)
Modern torpedo, self-propelled projectile which is launched from the ship, submarine and helicopter is invention of an croatian retired naval officer Ivan-Lupis-Vukić. Although similar gadgets,like submarine mines , existed 50 years before, he was the first invented the missile that can move alone. In the 1860 year he presented his invention to the Austro-Hungarian navy. With the authorization of the navy , in the city Rijeka was founded the factory 'Torpedo' that was producing those missiles.
Projectiles received the name from that factory. In the year 1870 missile had coverage until 1000 yards( 912 meters) and maximal speed of 6 knots(1 čvor= 1.852 km/h).
In the year 1881 factory started to export torpedoes into other countries. First ship that was sanked with torpedo was the Blanco Encalada , sanked in the Chilean civil war, at the 23rd April by the torpedo boat Lynch.
Torpedoes are today obligation parts of an every naval troop.
