Nikolaus August Otto

Despite the fact that the majority of people today are unlikely to have heard of Nikolaus August Otto, who was born in Holzhausen, Germany, in 1832, he is nevertheless regarded as one of the most significant inventors of the Industrial Age. Otto can be solely credited with designing the technology that made it all possible—the four-stroke internal combustion engine—despite the fact that several engineers and businesses contributed to the invention of the modern automobile in different ways.

Otto's engine, which was constructed in 1876 and was a significant advancement over Étienne Lenoir's two-stroke system in many areas, served as the first functional substitute for the then-common steam engine. The Otto Cycle, which consists of the four stages of intake, compression, combustion, and exhaust, is still referred to as such in his honor. In August 1885, Gottlieb Daimler created the first motorbike, and almost all automobile engines produced since then have been based on his idea.

Born: 10 June 1832Holzhausen an der Haide
Died: 26 January 1891 (aged 58)Cologne
Nationality: German
Occupation: Engineer
Known for: Internal combustion engineFounder of Deutz AG