Inventor. Born in Liscannor, Ireland, he was an Irish engineer who designed the first practical submarine and is regarded as the father of the modern submarine. In 1877, he found sponsorship with the Fenian group for a contact with the British Royal Navy. He built a small prototype submarine, the Holland No. 1, to test out his theories including the use of a gasoline engine. The trial was successful enough to encourage building a larger and more warlike boat. His invention was labeled the Fenian Ram, built at Delamater Iron Works New York and launched in May 1881. After he left the Fenian group, he sold his patent designs to the British Navy, who launched their own Holland model sub. By recommendation of the then Secretary of the Navy Theodore Roosevelt, the US Government bought a Holland sub. The USS Holland was commissioned the first submarine of the American Navy on October 12, 1900. He also built two submarines for Japan, which were used against Russia in the war of 1904, and received the Rising Sun from the Emperor of Japan for his contribution to the Japanese Naval victory. He died at age 74 in Newark, New Jersey.
Inventor. Born in Liscannor, Ireland, he was an Irish engineer who designed the first practical submarine and is regarded as the father of the modern submarine. In 1877, he found sponsorship with the Fenian group for a contact with the British Royal Navy. He built a small prototype submarine, the Holland No. 1, to test out his theories including the use of a gasoline engine. The trial was successful enough to encourage building a larger and more warlike boat. His invention was labeled the Fenian Ram, built at Delamater Iron Works New York and launched in May 1881. After he left the Fenian group, he sold his patent designs to the British Navy, who launched their own Holland model sub. By recommendation of the then Secretary of the Navy Theodore Roosevelt, the US Government bought a Holland sub. The USS Holland was commissioned the first submarine of the American Navy on October 12, 1900. He also built two submarines for Japan, which were used against Russia in the war of 1904, and received the Rising Sun from the Emperor of Japan for his contribution to the Japanese Naval victory. He died at age 74 in Newark, New Jersey.
Bio by: John "J-Cat" Griffith
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