1901-1910
In this decade the automobile reached a marvelous state of perfection and a tremendous industry was built up which had a marked influence on the development of machine tools and the production of iron and steel. James A. Gailey invented a dryblast process for steel production, getting rid of the moisture in air by subjecting it to a freezing process. Fellow’s gear-cutting machine was perfected and Bullard brought out the vertical turret lathe. There were important developments of the steam turbine.
There is one invention that makes this decade stand out from among all others. On December 17, 1903, the Wright brothers made a successful flight in a biplane driven by a gasoline engine, and opened up a new world for conquest. Man took to wings and the dream of ages was realized. During the decade rapid progress was made in developing the flying machine. The invention of the monoplane soon followed.
It was in this decade that the gyroscope emerged from the laboratory and toy shop and began to be applied to practical uses. Schlick utilized the gyroscope to prevent ships from rolling. The gyrocompass was invented and reached a commercial stage in 1910.