Timeline of modern Muslim scientists and engineers

This timeline of modern Muslim scientists and engineers covers the general development of science and technology by Muslims after the Islamic Golden Age, which came to an end around the 16th century. For the timeline of science and engineering during the classical period, see Timeline of Islamic science and engineering.

Since the 17th century, Muslim scientists and engineers have been active both within the Islamic world and outside of it. All year dates are given according to the Gregorian calendar except where noted.

17th century

* 1600s [mathematics] The Arabic mathematician Muhammad Baqir Yazdi jointly discovered the pair of amicable numbers 9,363,584 and 9,437,056 along with Descartes (1636). [ [http://amicable.homepage.dk/apstat.htm#discoverer Various AP Lists and Statistics ] ] .

* 1600 - 1640 [philosophy] Persian philosopher Mulla Sadra founded the school of Transcendent Theosophy and developed the concept of "existence precedes essence". [Harv|Razavi|1997|pp=129-30] His work bought "a new philosophical insight in dealing with the nature of reality" and created "a major transition from essentialism to existentialism" in Islamic philosophy, several centuries before this occurred in Western philosophy. [citation|title=Mulla Sadra's Transcendent Philosophy|first=Muhammad|last=Kamal|year=2006|publisher=Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.|isbn=0754652718|pages=9 & 39]

* 1630 - 1632 [aviation, flight] The Turk Hezarfen Ahmet Celebi is said to have flown from the Galata Tower and crossed the Bosphorus, landing 3.38 kilometers away in Üsküdar's Doğancılar square.

* 1633 [aviation, flight, rocketry] Hezarfen Ahmet Celebi's brother, Lagari Hasan Çelebi, launched himself in the first artificially-powered manned rocket, using 150 okka (about 300 pounds) of gunpowder as the firing fuel, and he landed successfully. This is more than two hundred years before similar attempts in modern Europe and the United States.

* 1659 - 1660 A seamless celestial globe is produced using the lost-wax casting method in the Mughal Empire in 1070 AH (1659-60 CE) by Muhammad Salih Tahtawi with Arabic and Sanskrit inscriptions. [citation|first=Emilie|last=Savage-Smith|title=Islamicate Celestial Globes: Their History, Construction, and Use|publisher=Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C.|year=1985] cite web|first=Najma|last=Kazi|title=Seeking Seamless Scientific Wonders: Review of Emilie Savage-Smith's Work|url=http://www.muslimheritage.com/topics/default.cfm?articleID=832|publisher=FSTC Limited|date=24 November, 2007|accessdate=2008-02-01]

18th century

* 1720 - [navigation technology] The Ottoman dockyard architect Ibrahim Efendi invented a submarine called the "tahtelbahir". The Ottoman writer Seyyid Vehbi, in his "Surname-i-Humayun", compared this submarine to an alligator. He recorded that during the circumcision ceremony for Sultan Ahmed III's sons, "the alligator-like submarine slowly emerged on the water and moved slowly to the sultan, and after staying on the sea for half an hour, submerged in the sea again to the great surprise of the public; then emerged one hour later, with five people walking outside the mouth of this alligator-like submarine, with trays of rice and "zerde" (a dish of sweetened rice) on their heads." He explained the technical information concerning the submarine "submerging in the sea and the crew being able to breath through pipes while under the sea".Arslan Terzioglu (2007), "The First Attempts of Flight, Automatic Machines, Submarines and Rocket Technology in Turkish History", in "The Turks" (ed. H. C. Guzel), pp. 804-810. [http://www.muslimheritage.com/uploads/Rocket_Technology_in_Turkish_history1.pdf] ]

* 1783 - 1799 - [rocketry] Tipu, Sultan of Mysore (r. 1783-1799) in the south of India, was an experimenter with war rockets and the inventor of iron-cased rocket artillery. He successfully used these iron rockets against the larger forces of the British East India Company during the Anglo-Mysore Wars. His rockets were much more advanced than what the British had seen, chiefly because of the use of iron tubes for holding the propellant; this enabled higher thrust and longer range for the missile (up to 2 km range). After Tipu's eventual defeat in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War and the capture of the Mysore iron rockets, they were influential in British rocket development and were soon put into use in the Napoleonic Wars. [Roddam Narasimha (1985). [http://nal-ir.nal.res.in/2382/01/tr_pd_du_8503_R66305.pdf Rockets in Mysore and Britain, 1750-1850 A.D.] National Aeronautical Laboratory and Indian Institute of Science.] Two of his rockets, captured by the British at Srirangapatna, are displayed in the Woolwich Royal Artillery Museum in London. They were the first rockets to have a rocket motor casing made of steel with multiple nozzles. The rocket, 50 mm in diameter and 250 mm long, had a range performance of 900 meters to 1.5 km. [ [http://www.cyberistan.org/islamic Muslim Scientists and Islamic Civilization] , Cyberistan.]

19th century

* 1814 - [cosmetics, hygiene] - Sake Dean Mahomet, a Bengali traveller and entrepreneur, developed the shampoo, inspired by the Indian practice of making fragrant hair-oil. He opened a shampooing bath known as 'Mahomed's Indian Vapour Baths' in Brighton, England, in 1759. His baths were like Turkish baths where clients received an Indian treatment of "champi" (shampooing) or therapeutic massage. His service was appreciated; he received the high accolade of being appointed ‘Shampooing Surgeon’ to both George IV and William IV.Paul Vallely, [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20060311/ai_n16147544 How Islamic Inventors Changed the World] , "The Independent", 11 March 2006]

20th century

* 1931 - 1942 [chemistry] Salimuzzaman Siddiqui was a leading Pakistani scientist in natural products chemistry. He is the pioneer in extracting chemical compunds from the Neem and Rauwolfia, and is also known for isolating novel chemical compunds from various other flora in the Indian subcontinent. As the director of H.E.J. Research Institute of Chemistry, he carried out extensive research with a team of scientists on pharmacology of various plants to extract a number of chemical substances of medicinal importance. [M. Akhtar (1996), Salimuzzaman Siddiqui, "Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society", Vol. 42, November, pp. 400-417]
* 1944 - 2000 [medicine, engineering] Iranian physician and engineer Toffy Musivand invents artificial cardiac pump as treatment for heart failure, and develops "remote power transfer for implantable medical devices, remote patient monitoring (telemedicine), biofluid dynamics to reduce/eliminate thrombosis in blood conducting devices, patient care simulation centre, detection devices and methods for detection, in situ sterilization, medical devices (failure analysis and regulatory process), and medical sensors." [ [http://www.ottawaheart.ca/UOHI/bio/Tofy_Mussivand.jsp Tofy Mussivand PhD, FRSC] , University of Ottawa Heart Institute.]
* 1953 [economics] Pakistani developmental activist Akhtar Hameed Khan pioneers the concept of microcredit
* 1960 [physics] Iranian physicist Ali Javan invents the gas laser
* 1961 [astronautics, space exploration] Azerbaijani rocket scientist Kerim Kerimov becomes one of the founders of the Soviet space program and one of the lead architects responsible for the launch of the Vostok 1, the first human spaceflight.Peter Bond, [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20030407/ai_n12692130 Obituary: Lt-Gen Kerim Kerimov] , "The Independent", 7 April 2003.]
* 1965 [mathematics; formal logic] Iranian mathematician Lotfi Asker Zadeh founded fuzzy set theory as an extension of the classical notion of set and he founded the field of fuzzy mathematics
* 1966 [astronautics, space exploration] Kerim Kerimov becomes the lead scientist of the Soviet space program.
* 1967 [astronautics, space exploration] Kerim Kerimov launches the Cosmos 186 and Cosmos 188, the first space docks (and precursors of space stations), during which mutual search, approach, mooring and docking were automatically performed for the first time in the history of space exploration.
* 1967 - 1972 [astronautics, space exploration] Farouk El-Baz from Egypt worked for NASA and was involved in the first Moon landings with the Apollo program, where he was secretary of the "Landing Site Selection Committee", "Principal Investigator of Visual Observations and Photography", chairman of the "Astronaut Training Group", and assisted in the planning of scientific explorations of the Moon, including the selection of landing sites for the Apollo missions and the training of astronauts in lunar observations and photography. [ [http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_C&cid=1169545087624&pagename=Zone-English-HealthScience%2FHSELayout Farouk El-Baz: With Apollo to the Moon] , IslamOnline]
* 1969 [engineering] Bangladeshi engineer Fazlur Khan, regarded as the "Einstein of structural engineering" and "the greatest architectural engineer of the second half of the 20th century" for his designs of structural systems that remain fundamental to all high-rise skyscrapers, designs and constructs the John Hancock Center.Ali Mir (2001). "Art of the Skyscraper: the Genius of Fazlur Khan". Rizzoli International Publications. ISBN 0847823709.]
* 1969 [chemistry, medicine] Iranian scientist Samuel Rahbar discovered glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1C), a form of hemoglobin used primarily to identify plasma glucose concentration over time. He was also the first to describe its increase in diabetes. [cite journal |author=Rahbar S, Blumenfeld O, Ranney HM |title=Studies of an unusual hemoglobin in patients with diabetes mellitus |journal=Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. |volume=36 |issue=5 |pages=838–43 |year=1969 |pmid=5808299 |doi=10.1016/0006-291X(69)90685-8]
* 1971 [economics] Bangladeshi economist Muhammad Yunus, founder of Grameen Bank, successfully applies the concept of microcredit to the first microfinance banking system.
* 1971 [astronautics, space exploration] Kerim Kerimov launches the first space station, the Salyut 1.
* 1972 - 1982 [astronautics, space exploration] Kerim Kerimov launches more space stations as part of the Salyut series.
* 1973 [engineering] Fazlur Khan designs and constructs the Sears Tower. Standing at 527.3 metres tall, it remains the world's tallest building up until the construction of the Burj Dubai in 2007.
* 1973 [mathematics, formal logic] Lotfi Zadeh founded the field of fuzzy logic.
* 1979 [physics] A Pakistani theoretical physicist, Abdus Salam, received the Nobel Prize in Physics for his pioneering work on the electroweak interaction theory, which is the mathematical and conceptual synthesis of the electromagnetic and weak interactions
* 1980s [engineering, nuclear physics] Pakistan was the first Islamic country which successfully developed nuclear technology, under the leadership of Abdul Qadeer Khan
* 1985 [astronautics, space exploration] Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud becomes the first Muslim astronaut in space, as a Payload Specialist aboard the STS-51-G Space Shuttle Discovery, completed on June 24
* 1985 [astronautics, space exploration] Muhammed Faris is selected to participate in the Intercosmos spaceflight program on September 30 as the first Syrian in space
* 1986 [astronautics, space exploration] Kerim Kerimov launches the Mir, the first consistently inhabited long-term research space station and which holds the record for the longest continuous human presence in space.
* 1987 [astronautics, space exploration] Muhammed Faris becomes the first Syrian in space aboard the Soyuz TM-2 and Soyuz TM-3 expeditions to Mir space station. He is awarded the Hero of the Soviet Union and Order of Lenin titles later that year.
* 1988 [astronautics, space exploration] Abdul Ahad Mohmand becomes the first Afghan astronaut in space, aboard the Soyuz TM-5 expedition to Mir space station
* 1990 [economics] Pakistani economist Mahbub ul Haq co-develops the Human Development Index
* 1994 - 1998 [astronautics, space exploration] Talgat Musabayev becomes the first Kazakh astronaut in space, as a flight engineer aboard the Soyuz TM-19 (for over 125 days) and commander aboard the Soyuz TM-27 (for over 207 days) expeditions to Mir space station
* 1995 [computer science] Iranian American computer scientist Pierre Omidyar, [His religion is uncertain but it is known he grew up in a tightly-knit Muslim community in France, according to citation|title=Pierre Omidyar: The Founder of Ebay|first=Jennifer|last=Viegas|date=2006|publisher=The Rosen Publishing Group|isbn=1404207155|pages=14–6] becomes the founder of eBay
* 1997 [physics, string theory] Iranian physicist Cumrun Vafa, one of the leading string theorists of modern times, develops the F-theory and proposes the Vafa-Witten theorem
* 1998 [architecture, engineering] The world's tallest twin towers, the Petronas Twin Towers, is built in Malaysia
* 1999 [chemistry] Egyptian chemist Ahmed Zewail is awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his pioneering work on femtochemistry

21st century

* 1983 - 2008 [architectural engineering] Zaha Hadid is an award-winning Iraqi deconstructivist architect who has won the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture, Pritzker Prize and Thomas Jefferson Medal in Architecture. She designed a number of famous postmodern architecture, including The Peak Club in Hong Kong, the Cardiff Bay Opera House, Guggenheim-Hermitage Vilnius, Eli and Edythe Broad Museum at Michigan State University, CMA CGM Tower, Bridge Pavilion, Kartal Urban Transformation at Istanbul, Riverside Museum, Glasgow Transport Museum, Eleftheria square, Nordkettenbahn (aerial tramway) at Innsbruck, Nuragic and Contemporary art museum, Maggie's centres, High speed train station of Afragola, BMW Central Building at Leipzig, Ordrupgaard annexe, Phaeno Science Center, Ursula (The Little Mermaid) at Hollywood, Bergisel Ski Jump, Price Tower extension hybrid project, Hoenheim-North Terminus & Car Park at Strasbourg, Rosenthal Center for Contemporary Art, Vitra Fire Station, and the Z.CAR hydrogen-powered three-wheeled automobile.
* 2000 [computer science] Many of the core components of PayPal, including its real-time anti-fraud systems, [http://www.jawed.com/resume Jawed Karim Resume] ] is designed and implemented by Bangladeshi American software engineer Jawed Karim. [cite web|author=Omair Ali, Ani Zakarian, Valerie Enriquez|url=http://www.theculturalconnect.com/new/2007/08/10/mecca-one-radio-mideast|title=MeccaOne Media: A Voice for the Everyday Muslim|publisher="The MidEast Connect Magazine"]
* 2000 - 2007 [chemistry, geometry, literature] In electrochemistry, Iranian scientist Ali Eftekhari is regarded as a founder of electrochemical nanotechnology, [ [http://www.wiley-vch.de/publish/en/books/bySubjectMS00/ISBN3-527-31876-3/?sID=b769201ff074e79e9824491197364440 Nanostructured Materials in Electrochemistry] ] particularly for his development of carbon nanotubes. [A. Eftekhari, et al, "Carbon", 2006, 44 (7), 1343 – 1345.] [A. Eftekhari, et al, "Chemistry Letters", 2006, 35 (1), 138 – 139.] He also carries out scientific research on the field of fractal geometry and applies it to different aspects of science, thus pioneering the concepts of fractal electrochemistry, [A. Eftekhari, "Electrochimica Acta", 2003, 48 (19), 2831 – 2839] [A. Eftekhari, et al, "Applied Surface Sciencs", 2005, 239 (3), 311 – 319] [A. Eftekhari, "Surface Review and Letters", 2006, 13 (5), 703 – 710] [A. Eftekhari, "Physica B", 2007, 387 (1-2), 92 – 97] [A. Eftekhari, et al, "Surface Review and Letters", 2006, 13 (6), 753 – 758] electrochemical reactions, [A. Eftekhari, "Journal of the Electrochemical Society", 2004, 151 (9), E291 – E296] and fractal geometry of literature.
* 2001 [astronautics, space exploration] Talgat Musabayev travels to the International Space Station as a commander aboard the Soyuz TM-31 and Soyuz TM-32 for over seven days. In total, he has spent over 339 days in space, making him one of the top 25 astronauts by time in space.
* 2001 [physics] Iranian physicist Mehran Kardar is awarded the Guggenheim Fellowship prize for his development of the Kardar-Parisi-Zhang (KPZ) equation
* 2002 - 2007 [science and politics] Abdul Kalam serves as the twelfth President of India. A notable scientist and engineer, he is often referred to as the "Missile Man of India" for his work and is considered a progressive mentor, innovator and visionary in India. He is also popularly known as the People's President.
* 2004 [astronautics, space exploration] Anouseh and Amir Ansari set up the Ansari X Prize to encourage private spaceflight research.
* 2005 [computer science] PayPal is re-designed and upscaled to 63 million users by Jawed Karim.
* 2005 [computer science] Jawed Karim pioneered the idea of a video hosting service with a web browser-embedded video player and co-founded YouTube as a result. [Jim Hopkins, [http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2006-10-11-youtube-karim_x.htm Surprise! There's a third YouTube co-founder] , "USA Today", 10-11-2006.]
* 2006 [economics] Bangladeshi banker and economist Muhammad Yunus and Grameen Bank receive the Nobel Peace Prize for their pioneering work on microcredit and microfinance banking.
* 2006 [nuclear physics] The United Nations Security Council demands that the nuclear program of Iran be suspended but Iran, the second Muslim nation with a nuclear program (after Pakistan), has rejected the demand
* 2006 [astronautics, space exploration] Anousheh Ansari becomes the first woman to travel to the International Space Station, the first Muslim woman in space, and the fourth space tourist
* 2006 [technology] Prodea Systems is founded by Hamid, Anouseh and Amir Ansari.
* 2006 [technology] The non-glaring headlamp, a headlamp with a continuous long-distance illumination without glaring effects, is invented in Turkey by Prof. Dr. Turhan Alçelik, and wins the silver medal at the IENA Invention Fair at Nuremberg, [cite web|url=http://www.turkpatent.gov.tr/portal/default_en.jsp?sayfa=161&haber=360|title=Turkish Inventions Won Awards from the IENA Invention Fair|publisher=Turkish Patent Institute|date=2006-11-10|accessdate=2008-08-09] and the technical jury's first prize at the 34th International Exhibition Of Invention, New Techniques And Products, at Geneva. [cite news | title = Ödüllü far yollarda | url = http://www.radikal.com.tr/haber.php?haberno=183987&tarih=10/04/2006 | date = 2006-04-10 | accessdate= 2008-01-15 | publisher = Radikal ]
* 2007 [engineering] The Burj Dubai, currently under construction in Dubai, reaches 585.7 metres in height, surpassing the Sears Tower (previously constructed by Fazlur Khan) as the world's tallest building. [ [http://www.visitdubai.info/news/burjdubai.htm Burj Dubai surpasses the height of Sears Tower in Chicago] ]
* 2007 [astronautics, space exploration] On October 10, Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor travels to the International Space Station (ISS) with his Expedition 16 crew aboard the Soyuz TMA-11 as part of the Angkasawan program, and becomes the first Malaysian astronaut in space and the first Muslim astronaut in space during Ramadan. The National Fatwa Council writes the "Guidelines for Performing Islamic Rites (Ibadah) at the International Space Station", giving him advice on issues such as how to pray in a low-gravity environment, how to locate Mecca from the ISS, how to determine prayer times, and issues surrounding fasting. On October 17, he celebrated Eid ul-Fitr aboard the station.
* 2007 [astronautics, biology, medicine, industry, orthopedic surgery, space exploration, technology] Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, who is both an astronaut and an orthopedic surgeon, becomes the first to perform biomedical research in space. His medical experiments aboard the ISS were mainly related to the characteristics and growth of liver cancer and leukemia cells, and the crystallisation of various proteins and microbes in space. [Cite web|url=http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/10/11/nation/19136025&sec=nation|title=Mission in space|accessyear=2007|accessmonth=October 13|publisherTheStar|year=2007|author=theStar|language=English] The experiments relating to liver cancer, leukemia cells and microbes will benefit general science and medical research, while the experiments relating to the crystallisation of proteins, lipases in this case, will directly benefit local industries in Malaysia. Lipase are a type of protein enzymes used in the manufacturing of diverse range of products from textiles to cosmetics, and the opportunity to grow these in space will allow Malaysian scientists to producing these locally rather than importing them. [Cite web|url=http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/9/22/nation/18514133&sec=nation|title=Tapping into space research|accessyear=2007|accessmonthday=September 22|publisher=TheStar|year=2007|author=theStar|language=English]
* 2007 [technology] The vertically rising ladder is invented in Turkey by Murat Nural and wins the gold medal at the IENA Invention Fair at Nuremberg in 2007. It is designed to climb high points and facilitate suspending there. The user who inserts his/her feet on the movable climbers moves his/her feet backward and forward and climbs upward on the steps. When the user wants to suspend, he/she fixes the climber on the step. The same procedure is followed reversely while getting down. Thanks to its movable legs, it will be possible to work on it for long time without getting tired, and allows easy operation on rough grounds. It also offers the opportunity to use both hands while on the ladder and easy operation on narrow points. It is also easy to keep and transport thanks to its small body, and there is no need for someone else to hold the ladders while one climbs on higher points on the ladder. It will be easy to carry the materials thanks to its hanger, and due to the fact that its legs on the ground are parallel to the ground it is not buried into the ground, so that it can be used to pick fruits up in the gardens. It also helps the operator to work against the wall when he/she wants to hang something on the wall, and it enables easy operation at angular spaces since the legs on the ground can be curved. [cite web|url=http://www.turkpatent.gov.tr/portal/default_en.jsp?sayfa=161&haber=540|title=Turkish Inventions Exhibits in Iena Fair|publisher=Turkish Patent Institute|date=2007-10-30|accessdate=2008-08-09]
* 2007 [technology] The Volitan, the first fully sustainable boat, is invented in Turkey by Dr. Hakan Gürsu and Sözüm Doğan at the DesignNobis Studio, and wins the best nautical/boat award and best transportation vehicle award at the International Design Awards in 2007. It is equipped with double layer solar cell panels, and uses both wind power and solar energy. It has a very light weight, stiff structure, its shell is made of carbon fiber and epoxy resin, and it has an ultraviolet resistant coating. It is also connected to a twin 220 HP/DC electric motor which has two suspended wings to help manoeuvre the ship, and in addition, a hydraulic/servo system located in the wings activates the Volitan's unique performance sail system. [cite web|url=http://www.designnobis.com|title=DesignNobis|accessdate=2008-08-09]

References

See also

*Timeline of Islamic science and engineering
*Islamic Golden Age
**Muslim Agricultural Revolution
*Islamic science
**Alchemy and chemistry in Islam
**Islamic astronomy
**Islamic geography
**Islamic mathematics
**Islamic medicine
**Islamic physics
**Islamic psychological thought
**Islamic sociology
*Inventions in the Islamic world
*Islamic contributions to Medieval Europe
**Latin translations of the 12th century
*Science and technology in Iran
*Timeline of historic inventions

External links

* [http://www.muslimheritage.com/timeline/chronology.cfm Chronology of major events in Muslim Heritage]
* [http://www.muslimheritage.com Muslim Heritage]
* [http://www.1001inventions.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=main.viewSection&intSectionID=309 1001 Inventions]