George Stephenson

George Stephenson
Born	(1781-06-09)9 June 1781 Wylam, Northumberland, England
Died	12 August 1848(1848-08-12) (aged 67) Tapton House, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, England
Resting place	Holy Trinity Church, Chesterfield
Spouse(s)	Frances Henderson (1802–1806) Elizabeth Hindmarsh (1820–1845) Ellen Gregory (1848)
Children	Robert Stephenson Frances Stephenson (died in infancy)

George Stephenson (9 June 1781 – 12 August 1848) was an English civil engineer and mechanical engineer during the Industrial Revolution.^[1] Renowned as the "Father of Railways",^[2] Stephenson was considered by the Victorians as a great example of diligent application and thirst for improvement. His chosen rail gauge, sometimes called "Stephenson gauge",^[i] was the basis for the 4-foot-8+1⁄2-inch (1.435 m) standard gauge used by most of the world's railways.

Pioneered by Stephenson, rail transport was one of the most important technological inventions of the 19th century and a key component of the Industrial Revolution. Built by George and his son Robert's company Robert Stephenson and Company, the Locomotion No. 1 was the first steam locomotive to carry passengers on a public rail line, the Stockton and Darlington Railway in 1825. George also built the first public inter-city railway line in the world to use locomotives, the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, which opened in 1830.

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