|
Henry Ford
Back to Biographies
Henry Ford is most famous for starting up the Ford Motor Company. This is still one of the world largest makers of cars including brands such as Ford, Ford trucks, Lincoln, Mercury, Volvo, Mazda, and Land Rover. Ford was a pioneer in manufacturing, enabling his company to manufacture cars on a large scale at a cheap price. This allowed cars to be affordable to the average American family for the first time.
Where did Henry Ford grow up?
Henry grew up in Greenfield Township, Michigan. His father was a farmer and wanted Henry to take over the family farm, but Henry had no interest in farming. He was much more interested in machines and building things. He left home at the age of 16 and went to Detroit to become an apprentice machinist. Ford had two brothers and two sisters.
What did Henry Ford invent?
The Assembly Line - It is often stated that Henry Ford invented the assembly line. This is where a product is made one step at a time as it passes through a line. This allows for mass production of products at a cheaper price than trying to build an entire product one at a time. What Henry Ford did was apply this concept to the automobile and perfect it for mass production of cars at a much lower price than current production methods. Ford's work in using and streamlining the assembly line was an example of just how powerful an assembly line could be in mass producing products.
The Model T Ford - This was the original car that Henry manufactured using the assembly line process. It was revolutionary in many ways, but primarily in its cost. It was very cheap compared to competitive cars and it was easy to drive and to repair. All this made it perfect for the middle class American. Over 15 million Model T cars were made and by 1918 over 50% of the cars in America were Model Ts.
Fun facts about Henry Ford
- Henry worked as an engineer at the Edison Illumination Company where he met Thomas Edison.
- His first try at an automobile company was in collaboration with Thomas Edison and was called the Detroit Automobile Company.
- Ford had Edison's last breath saved in a test tube and you can still see the test tube at the Henry Ford Museum.
- In 1918 he ran for a US Senate seat, but lost.
- He was a race car driver early in his career.
Back to Biographies
Other Inventors and Scientists:
Alexander Graham Bell
Thomas Edison
Albert Einstein
Henry Ford
Ben Franklin
Johannes Gutenberg
Leonardo da Vinci
The Wright Brothers
|
|
Kid's Poll |
|
Which of these cities would you most like to visit on vacation?
|
|
Joke of the Day |
Q: When is the moon the heaviest?
A: When it's full!
|
|
Today In History |
|
Who was born on this day:
1956 Bob Saget (Actor from America's Funniest Home Videos)
1985 Matt Ryan (NFL Quarterback)
What happened today in history:
1792 The New York Stock Exchange is formed.
1846 Adolphe Sax invents the saxophone.
|
|
