1856Reputable sourceWell documented
The Bessemer Process
On the timeline · around 1856 ·
What happened
In 1856 Henry Bessemer announced a process that blew air through molten pig iron to burn off its carbon and impurities, turning it into steel quickly and in bulk. It cut the price of steel roughly tenfold.
Why it matters
Cheap, strong steel replaced iron in rails, bridges, ships, and buildings, becoming the backbone of the later Industrial Revolution and of the modern built environment.