Full name: George Stephenson Born: 9th June 1781 Place of Birth: Wylam, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne Occupation: Railway Engineer Died: 8th August 1848

The revolutionary railway engineer George Stephenson, also known as the 'Father of Railways', was born on 9th June 1781 in Wylam in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne.  After taking an early interest in mechanics, Stephenson began his career in the coalmines in North East England where he managed the machinery and developing steam engines for use in the mines during the industrial revolution. 

In 1811, Stephenson had a career breakthrough when he discovered a problem with an engine in one of the mines he was working in and successfully fixed it, which impressed a group of businessmen who put him in charge of the machinery at their pits.  Stephenson experimented with steam engines and locomotives and constructed his first locomotive called the 'Blucher' in 1814.

In 1821, Stephenson became engineer of the construction of the Stockton and Darlington railway to improve transport links between the collieries in the North East and London, which became the first public railway in the world to use steam locomotives.  In 1823, construction began and the first iron rail track was laid.  The 26 mile railway line finally opened on 27th September 1825.  Due to the success of the Stockton and Darlington Railway, Stephenson was made chief engineer of the construction of the Liverpool to Manchester railway, which was the first intercity railway in the world and opened on 15th September 1830.

Stephenson's achievements lead him to enter a competition called the Rainhill Trails at Rainhill, which aimed to find a mechanism that could pull heavy loads over long distances and Stephenson successfully constructed the famous 'Rocket' locomotive with his son Robert.  'Rocket' won the competition after reaching a record breaking speed of 36 miles per hour and Stephenson became an engineering genius. 

Stephenson constructed further railway lines, such as the Grand Junction Railway, a line from the Liverpool to Manchester Railway to Birmingham, and the Manchester to Leeds railway.

Stephenson also invented the rail guage, also known as the 'Stephenson Guage' (4ft and 8.5 inches), which is the world's standard guage.  In 1838, George Stephenson finished the construction of the first railway from Birmingham to London and he became president and founder of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers in 1847.  By the time George Stephenson died on 8th August 1848, railways had revolutionised Great Britain and made it one of the richest countries in the world.