Nikolaus Otto

Nikolaus Otto was born in Holzhausen auf der Heide, Germany. Otto's mother reared him well though his father died soon after he was born. Otto was a bright student. His main academic interests were science and technology, but he graduated after three years working as a business apprentice at a small goods company. He came to Frankfurt after finishing his apprenticeship to work as a colonial goods and agricultural products salesperson for Philipp Jakob Lindheimer. Otto worked for a number of organizations, including IC Alpeter and Carl Mertens in 1860.

Otto possessed the ingenuity to create the first workable internal combustion engine regardless of the lack of technical training. Later, he devised the four-stroke engine, known as the Otto cycle, that considerably lowered the weight and boosted the power of a petrol engine, making petrol-powered cars a viable alternative to steam power. It marked the beginning of a new era of automobiles, which revolutionized the lives of millions of people throughout the twentieth century.

Born: 10 June, 1832

Died: 26 January, 1891 (aged 58)

Inventions: internal combustion engine, four-stroke engine, Otto engine, petrol engine, four-stroke spark-ignition engine, …