Key People and Events

People

1. Eli Whitney

invented the cotton gin which increased the harvest rate of cotton seeds as well as interchangeable parts

2. Francis C. Lowell

improved the efficiency of cloth production by combining both the spinning and weaving process into one factory

3. Elias Howe

created the sewing machine

4. Cyrus McCormick

created the mechanical reaper which allowed grain to be harvested more quickly

5. John Deere

created the steel plow which improved farming techniques

6. Samuel F. B. Morse

created the telegraph

7. James Watts

created the steam engine

8. Robert Fulton

invented the steam boat

9. Richard Arkwright

created the Arkwright factory system 

Events

1. 1712 - Thomas Newcomen invented the first steam engine. This steam engine model is not very useful at the time, but the steam engine would become very important later in the Industrial Revolution. 
2. 1764 - James Hargreaves invented the spinning jenny. This invention made it possible to spin more than one ball of yarn at a time.
3. 1769 - James watts improved the steam engine. This steam engine would go on to fuel trains, steamboats, and factories.
4. 1794 - Eli Whitney patented  the cotton gin. this improved the efficiency of harvesting cotton allowing plantations to make more of a profit.
5. 1844 - Samuel Morse invented the telegram. This improved communications for the common person as well as war generals during war.
6. 1846 - Elias Howe invented the sewing machine. This allowed for clothes to be made both in the home and in factories.
7. 1853 - Elisha Otis created the elevator safety break. The elevator safety break improved the safety of elevators in places as large as the Eiffel Tower. 
8. 1855 - The Bessemer Method for processing steel was invented. this process helped make steel out of iron in less time and for less money.
9. 1866 - Alfred Nobel invented dynamite. Dynamite was critical for making paths for roads and railways. 
10. 1870 - Louis Pasteur - develops a vaccine to cure common illnesses. His vaccine increased the life expectancy in many places and saved many lives.
11. 1876 - Alexander Gram Bell patented the telephone. This improved communications and made it more available for people who couldn't afford the telegraph.
12. 1879 - Thomas Edison created the light bulb. This revolutionized work allowing people to work at night as it was usually done exclusively during the day time.
13. 1883 - The Brooklyn Bridge opens - At the time, it was the largest suspension bridge in the world, and it was finally finished after 13 years of instruction. 
14. 1903 - Orville Wright makes the first powered airplane flight - Unlike the first flight Orville took with his brother, Wilbur, this flight was powered by an engine not just wind.
15. 1908 - Henry Ford created the Model T - The Model T was revolutionary because so many of them were able to be produced because of assembly line technology. 

Sources:

"Industrial Revolution Timeline." Industrial Revolution Timeline. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Mar. 2014.

Kelly, Martin. "Industrial Revolution People, Inventions, and Events." About.com American History. N.p.,   n.d. Web. 26 Mar. 2014.