Technology
When was the Newcomen steam engine built?
1712 AD
Thomas Newcomen’s atmospheric steam engine entered practical use in 1712 AD.
1 BC · 1 AD
Context
What happened?
The engine admitted steam into a cylinder and then condensed it, creating a partial vacuum so atmospheric pressure could drive the piston. Its principal early use was pumping water from mines where flooding limited extraction.
Significance
Why it matters
Newcomen’s machine is widely described as the first practical device to use steam for mechanical work. Later improvements by James Watt greatly increased efficiency, but they built on the practical foundation established by the atmospheric engine.
Further reading
Sources
Your turn
