Here is the Radio Times list of the 50 greatest British inventions , in chronological order.
Reflecting telescope: Isaac Newton, 1668
Seed drill: Jethro Tull, 1701
Marine chronometer: John Harrison, 1761
Spinning frame: Richard Arkwright, 1768
Toothbrush: William Addis, c. 1770
Soda water: Joseph Priestley, 1772
Hydraulic press: Joseph Bramah, 1795
Steam engine: Richard Trevithick, 1801
Glider: George Cayley, 1804
Tension-spoked wheel: George Cayley, 1808
Tin can: Peter Durand, 1810
Modern fire extinguisher: George William Manby, 1818
Electric motor: Michael Faraday, 1821
Waterproof material: Charles Macintosh, 1823
Cement: Joseph Aspdin, 1824
Passenger railway: George Stephenson, 1825
Lawnmower: Edwin Beard Budding, 1827
Photography: William Henry Fox Talbot, 1835
Electric telegraph: Charles Wheatstone & William Cooke, 1837
Chocolate bar: JS Fry & Sons, 1847
Hypodermic syringe: Alexander Wood, 1853
Synthetic dye: William Perkin, 1856
Bessemer process: Henry Bessemer, 1856
Linoleum: Frederick Walton, 1860
Sewage system: Joseph Bazalgette, 1865
Modern Torpedo: Robert Whitehead, 1866
Telephone: Alexander Graham Bell, 1876
Light Bulb: Joseph Swan, 1880
Steam turbine: Charles Parsons, 1884
Safety bicycle: John Kemp Stanley, 1885
Pneumatic tyre: John Boyd Dunlop, 1887
Thermos flask: Sir James Dewar, 1892
Electric vacuum cleaner: Hubert Cecil Booth, 1901
Disc Brakes: Frederick William Lanchester, 1902
Stainless Steel: Harry Brearley, 1913
Military tank: Ernest Swinton, 1914
Television: John Logie Baird, 1925
Catseye: Percy Shaw, 1933
Jet Engine: Frank Whittle, 1937
Electronic programmable computer: Tommy Flowers, 1943
Hovercraft: Christopher Cockerell, 1953
Automatic kettle: Peter Hobbs, 1955
Float Glass: Alastair Pilkington, 1959
Hip Replacement: John Charnley, 1962
Carbon fibre: Royal Aircraft Establishment engineers, 1963
Collapsible baby buggy: Owen Maclaren, 1965
ATM: John Shepherd-Barron, 1967
World Wide Web: Tim Berners-Lee, 1989
Wind-up radio: Trevor Baylis, 1991
Steri-spray: Ian Helmore, c. 2008
Readers can nominate their own suggestions on the Radio Times website.
