I'll Huff And I'll Puff ....

On this day in history in 1801, Richard Trevithick introduced the world to the first steam powered passenger vehicle when he took seven of his friends for a ride on his "Puffing Devil," or "Puffer." 


Unlike the steam engine pioneered by James Watt, Trevithick’s engines were extremely versatile: They could be put to work in mines, on farms, in factories, on ships and in locomotives of all kinds. The "Puffing Devil"  was large enough to seat all the onlookers who were eager to accompany Trevithick on his test run. One of those passengers reported that it moved, “Like a little bird…going faster than I could walk.”) A few days later, however, the "Puffing Devil" was destroyed when it overheated and caught fire.


(Adapted from The History Channel)


And so Richard Trevithick set in motion the Industrial Revolution.