Brunel, Isambard Kingdom

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Brunel, Isambard Kingdom (1806–59) English marine and railway engineer. A man of remarkable foresight, imagination and daring, Brunel revolutionized British engineering. In 1829, he designed the Clifton Suspension Bridge (completed 1864). Brunel is also famous for designing the ships Great Western (1837), the first trans-Atlantic wooden steamship, Great Britain (1843), the first iron-hulled, screw-driven steamship, and Great Eastern (1858), a steamship powered by screws and paddles, which was the largest vessel of its time.

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