William Ayrton

About

Electrical engineer who used electricity to propel vehicles.

Before Fame

He spent time in India, developing a way to detect faults in the transmission lines for a telegraph company.

Trivia

He published many influential papers on the subject of electrical engineering.

Family Life

His wife, Hertha Marks Ayrton, was also a well-known electrical engineer, an unusual profession for a woman at the time.

Associated With

His son-in-law Israel Zangwill coined the phrase "melting pot" to describe American culture.