From prehistoric times when man first invented the wheel to today's world where scientists send probes to Mars, engineers have played a major role in shaping civilisation. These were some seriously cool people whose genius put them sometimes centuries ahead of their time. Let's meet a few!

Archimedes Rocks!

Way back in 287BC, a genius was born. This ancient Greek mathematician, physicist, engineer, astronomer and philosopher is probably best known for the rumour that he made his best discoveries in the bath - namely, the principles of density and buoyancy. It all came about because the King of Syracuse suspected the goldsmiths who made his new crown of keeping a little of the gold he supplied for themselves, and substituting it with silver. Sneaky!

Trouble is, he didn't know how to prove it, so he asked Archimedes for help. Archimedes happened to be hopping into his bathtub when he observed that the more his body sank into it the more water ran out over the tub. Weightwatchers? He was so excited when he realised he could apply this same method to the weight of the royal crown, that he's said to have jumped out of the tub and rushed home naked, crying out loudly in Greek "Eureka, I have found it!".


Leonardo Rules!

Leonardo da Vinci was born in 1452 and went on to do much more than give his name to a #1 bestselling novel. Not only was he one of history's greatest engineers, but also a pretty hot architect, anatomist, sculptor, inventor, geometer, musician and painter. But the guy could turn his hand to just about anything. Leonardo drew the plans for the first armoured car in 1485, but he also designed (are you ready for it?) ... the cannon, a machine gun, gliders, a turnspit for roasting meat, and a canal system. In his spare time he invented the parachute, a movable bridge, various ladders for storming and climbing castle walls, a machine to make concave mirrors, and a pump for well water.

Of course there was no TV in those days, so Leo filled his hours making maps of Europe, the first accurate drawings of the human anatomy, designed a revolving stage for plays and pageants, created an inflatable tube so people could float in the water, invented scissors, invented the bicycle 300 years before it appeared on the road, and just happened to also paint some of the most beautiful paintings the world has ever known. Not bad for a single lifetime!


But Eiffel Towered Over Them All

Gustav Eiffel was a French engineer and architect who lived from 1832-1923 and was big into meccano - no seriously, he specialised in metallic structures. Most people only recognise him for designing the Eiffel Tower in Paris, but he also designed the Statue of Liberty in New York (a gift from France to the U.S.), and the Nice Observatory - very nice it was too. He studied chemistry at school, but his love of metal began with his first job, working with a company that designed railway bridges.

The stunning Eiffel Tower was the focal point of the International Exposition in 1889 and drew millions of people to Paris. Nearly two million people visited it in 1889 alone - today more than 5 million people visit it each year. After originally being thought of as an eyesore, the tower quickly became a national symbol of France and brought a sense of pride to the people who live there, as well as becoming one of the world's most famous tourist attractions.