August 22 – Demonstration of – the Steamboat!

 Posted on August 22, 2021

This is an update of my post published on August 22, 2010:

On this day in 1787, John Fitch made his first successful demonstration of his steamboat in the Delaware River. It was not only a first for him, it was a first for the United States.

Unfortunately for Fitch, he was not able to profit from his idea as much as he hoped—and he isn’t even the guy we usually hold up in the history books. It is Robert Fulton, working a couple of decades later, who was able to make steamboats profitable and who is most often mentioned when discussing this leap forward in transportation.

Did you know…?

Today’s nuclear-powered submarines and warships are powered by steam-driven turbines. The nuclear reactors heat the water into steam.

Steamships were given names that included two-letter codes for what kind of steam power they had. “SS” meant Screw Steamer, “PS” meant Paddle Steamer, and “TS” meant Turbine Ship.

TS Queen Mary

SS Kroonland

PS Finlandia Queen

Here are instructions for making a steam-powered “rocket boat.”

Also on this date:

Author Ray Bradbury’s birthday

Author Dorothy Parker’s birthday 

Birthday of aviation pioneer Samuel Pierpont Langley

Hopi Snake Dance

Be an Angel Day

First Female Editor of American Newspaper

Birthday of Sierra Leone activist Tinga Seisay

Russian Flag Day

Madras Day

Birthday of artist and Resistance hero Willem Arondeus

National Bao Day

Plan ahead:

Check out my Pinterest boards for:

• August holidays
• August birthdays
• Historical anniversaries in August

And here are my Pinterest boards for:

• September holidays
• September birthdays
• Historical anniversaries in September