Discover the Top 11 Unexpected and Entertaining Fun Facts About Innovator Robert Fulton!

1. Sub-merged in Transportation

You might say Robert Fulton was "sub-merged" in all things transportation to make waves across land and sea: As the creator of the first successful steamboat, Fulton also designed the world's first practical submarine, the Nautilus, tested in France's Seine River in 1800, and added to his credits by inventing naval torpedoes for the Royal Navy and creating weapons for the US Navy during the War of 1812.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

2. Jules Verne of Submarines

In a world where sea creatures are jealous of our gadgets, one visionary dared to challenge the norm and create the Jules Verne of submarines: Meet Robert Fulton's Nautilus, designed between 1793 and 1797, which holds the title of the first practical submarine ever constructed and pioneered numerous technological advancements in the depths of nautical exploration.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

Did you know Benjamin Franklin's cheeky annual publication, Poor Richard's Almanack, entertained the masses for 25 years, but hardly made him a fortune? Discover more about this fascinating endeavor!

=> Fun Facts about Benjamin-Franklin

3. A Steamy Affair

Before the days of Hogwarts Express and flying broomsticks, our magical ride through water was merely a steamy affair: Robert Fulton, the mastermind behind the first commercially successful steamboat, the Clermont, set sail in 1807 on the Hudson River and took passengers on a riveting 32-hour journey from New York City to Albany, forever changing the way we traverse the tides.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

4. Harriet the "Momager"

Talk about a "momager" before it was cool: Robert Fulton, made sure his wife Harriet was rolling in dough after his death as his kids' financial guardian. With $9,000 a year for her and $1,000 a year (after age 12) for each kiddo, Harriet became probably the world's first Kardashian by cashing in $11,500 a year from 1820 till her glamorous exit in 1826.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

5. Casanova of the Canvas

Before settling down with steam engines, Robert Fulton was quite the Casanova of the canvas, brushing shoulders with luminaries and leaving a trail of artsy enchantment in his wake: This multitalented inventor also dabbled in portrait and landscape painting to financially support his family, studying the art form alongside illustrious painter Benjamin West in England, all while tinkering with mechanical masterpieces and continuing to sketch until his final days.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

6. Captain of Steam-Powered Swagger

Long before "I'm on a boat" became a viral sensation, Robert Fulton was the captain of steam-powered swagger: He and Robert Livingston pioneered the first commercially successful steamboat with their innovative sidewheel design, which ruled the Hudson River and beyond for years to come.
Source => hrmm.org

7. Crafting for Napoleon

In a tale that could rival Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, we transport ourselves to the early 19th century, where the one and only Napoleon Bonaparte called upon the genius of none other than Robert Fulton: The master inventor, in the year 1800, crafted the world's first practical submarine, known as the Nautilus. This historic vessel took a dip in the Seine River in Rouen, France, staying completely submerged for 17 minutes in 25 feet of water. Although the French government initially hesitated to support the project, Fulton's perseverance paid off and the submarine was eventually built by the shipyard Perrier in Rouen.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

8. Waterway Superhero

Before the "Chunnel" became a thing and Aquaman was just a twinkle in Poseidon's eye, there was a lesser-known superhero of the waterways flexing his inventive muscle: Robert Fulton was an advocate for small canals, which he believed would lower construction costs and speed up transport. He not only designed an inclined plane for canal construction in 1794 – earning an English patent – but also published a treatise with engraved plates in 1796 and received a French patent for his canal design in early 1798.
Source => emuseum.nyhistory.org

9. "Fulton's Folly" Redemption

Ahoy skeptical landlubbers, prepare to launch your doubts overboard: Robert Fulton's iconic steamboat, the North River Steamboat, once dubbed as "Fulton's Folly" by naysayers, transformed river transportation and commerce, riding the waves of success between New York City and Albany, making those doubters eat their words like a wet ship's biscuit.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

10. Blaze of Glory

Robert Fulton, the steamboat man, quite literally went out in a blaze of glory, catching pneumonia in a heated attempt to rescue a friend from the frozen Hudson River: Alas, Fulton met his icy end in 1815, and today, his tomb lies just a few feet away from the famous Hamilton couple in Trinity Churchyard Cemetery - though it tends to be overshadowed by their star power, it does boast its own memorial, courtesy of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers in 1901.
Source => lancasteronline.com

11. Watt's up, Hudson?

Fishing for a steamboat revolution, Fulton said, "Watt's up, Hudson?": In 1807, the "Father of the Steamboat," Robert Fulton made waves as he launched the Clermont on the Hudson River, transforming maritime transportation and facilitating unparalleled efficiency in moving people and cargo.
Source => invent.org