INVENTOR
Eli Whitney
1765 - 1825

Eli Whitney
Eli Whitney Jr. (December 8, 1765 – January 8, 1825) was an American inventor, widely known for inventing the cotton gin in 1793, one of the key inventions of the Industrial Revolution that shaped the economy of the Antebellum South. Whitney's invention made upland short cotton into a profitable crop, which strengthened the economic foundation of slavery in the United States and prolonged the institution. Despite the social and economic impact of his invention, Whitney lost much of his profits in legal battles over patent infringement for the cotton gin. Read more on Wikipedia
His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. Eli Whitney is the 23rd most popular inventor (up from 33rd in 2019), the 254th most popular biography from United States (up from 311th in 2019) and the 4th most popular American Inventor.
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Among INVENTORS
Among inventors, Eli Whitney ranks 23 out of 426. Before him are Rudolf Diesel, Cai Lun, Nicéphore Niépce, Karl Ferdinand Braun, George Stephenson, and Hans Lippershey. After him are Lee de Forest, Bartolomeo Cristofori, Werner von Siemens, John Logie Baird, Denis Papin, and Thomas Newcomen.
Most Popular Inventors in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsRudolf Diesel
1858 - 1913
HPI: 79.13
Rank: 17
Cai Lun
48 - 121
HPI: 79.13
Rank: 18
Nicéphore Niépce
1765 - 1833
HPI: 77.97
Rank: 19
Karl Ferdinand Braun
1850 - 1918
HPI: 77.57
Rank: 20
George Stephenson
1781 - 1848
HPI: 77.03
Rank: 21
Hans Lippershey
1570 - 1619
HPI: 76.77
Rank: 22
Eli Whitney
1765 - 1825
HPI: 76.75
Rank: 23
Lee de Forest
1873 - 1961
HPI: 76.60
Rank: 24
Bartolomeo Cristofori
1655 - 1731
HPI: 76.05
Rank: 25
Werner von Siemens
1816 - 1892
HPI: 75.84
Rank: 26
John Logie Baird
1888 - 1946
HPI: 75.44
Rank: 27
Denis Papin
1647 - 1712
HPI: 75.42
Rank: 28
Thomas Newcomen
1663 - 1729
HPI: 75.31
Rank: 29
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1765, Eli Whitney ranks 4. Before him are William IV of the United Kingdom, Pope Gregory XVI, and Nicéphore Niépce. After him are Pyotr Bagration, Robert Fulton, Jacques MacDonald, Princess Augusta Wilhelmine of Hesse-Darmstadt, Karl Ludwig Harding, Charles Felix of Sardinia, Carl Ludwig Willdenow, and Emma, Lady Hamilton. Among people deceased in 1825, Eli Whitney ranks 7. Before him are Jacques-Louis David, Alexander I of Russia, Antonio Salieri, Daniel D. Tompkins, Henri de Saint-Simon, and Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria. After him are Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies, Pauline Bonaparte, Henry Fuseli, Jean Paul, Dmitry Bortniansky, and Laskarina Bouboulina.
Others Born in 1765
Go to all RankingsWilliam IV of the United Kingdom
POLITICIAN
1765 - 1837
HPI: 86.91
Rank: 1
Pope Gregory XVI
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1765 - 1846
HPI: 84.71
Rank: 2
Nicéphore Niépce
INVENTOR
1765 - 1833
HPI: 77.97
Rank: 3
Eli Whitney
INVENTOR
1765 - 1825
HPI: 76.75
Rank: 4
Pyotr Bagration
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1765 - 1812
HPI: 73.55
Rank: 5
Robert Fulton
INVENTOR
1765 - 1815
HPI: 73.39
Rank: 6
Jacques MacDonald
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1765 - 1840
HPI: 72.22
Rank: 7
Princess Augusta Wilhelmine of Hesse-Darmstadt
POLITICIAN
1765 - 1796
HPI: 70.43
Rank: 8
Karl Ludwig Harding
ASTRONOMER
1765 - 1834
HPI: 69.40
Rank: 9
Charles Felix of Sardinia
POLITICIAN
1765 - 1831
HPI: 68.97
Rank: 10
Carl Ludwig Willdenow
BIOLOGIST
1765 - 1812
HPI: 67.00
Rank: 11
Emma, Lady Hamilton
ACTOR
1765 - 1815
HPI: 66.84
Rank: 12
Others Deceased in 1825
Go to all RankingsJacques-Louis David
PAINTER
1748 - 1825
HPI: 82.11
Rank: 1
Alexander I of Russia
POLITICIAN
1777 - 1825
HPI: 80.62
Rank: 2
Antonio Salieri
COMPOSER
1750 - 1825
HPI: 80.23
Rank: 3
Daniel D. Tompkins
POLITICIAN
1774 - 1825
HPI: 78.93
Rank: 4
Henri de Saint-Simon
PHILOSOPHER
1760 - 1825
HPI: 77.38
Rank: 5
Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria
POLITICIAN
1756 - 1825
HPI: 76.82
Rank: 6
Eli Whitney
INVENTOR
1765 - 1825
HPI: 76.75
Rank: 7
Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies
POLITICIAN
1751 - 1825
HPI: 75.79
Rank: 8
Pauline Bonaparte
POLITICIAN
1780 - 1825
HPI: 73.45
Rank: 9
Henry Fuseli
PAINTER
1741 - 1825
HPI: 72.22
Rank: 10
Jean Paul
WRITER
1763 - 1825
HPI: 72.21
Rank: 11
Dmitry Bortniansky
COMPOSER
1751 - 1825
HPI: 69.40
Rank: 12
Laskarina Bouboulina
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1771 - 1825
HPI: 68.46
Rank: 13
In United States
Among people born in United States, Eli Whitney ranks 254 out of 20,380. Before him are Lee Harvey Oswald (1939), Thomas Kuhn (1922), Cameron Diaz (1972), Olympias (-375), Barry White (1944), and Charlton Heston (1923). After him are Sigourney Weaver (1949), Joseph Heller (1923), Thomas Hunt Morgan (1866), John Holmes (1944), Ben Affleck (1972), and Robert Andrews Millikan (1868).
Others born in United States
Go to all RankingsLee Harvey Oswald
EXTREMIST
1939 - 1963
HPI: 76.93
Rank: 248
Thomas Kuhn
HISTORIAN
1922 - 1996
HPI: 76.91
Rank: 249
Cameron Diaz
ACTOR
1972 - Present
HPI: 76.87
Rank: 250
Olympias
COMPANION
375 BC - 316 BC
HPI: 76.86
Rank: 251
Barry White
SINGER
1944 - 2003
HPI: 76.76
Rank: 252
Charlton Heston
ACTOR
1923 - 2008
HPI: 76.75
Rank: 253
Eli Whitney
INVENTOR
1765 - 1825
HPI: 76.75
Rank: 254
Sigourney Weaver
ACTOR
1949 - Present
HPI: 76.75
Rank: 255
Joseph Heller
WRITER
1923 - 1999
HPI: 76.72
Rank: 256
Thomas Hunt Morgan
BIOLOGIST
1866 - 1945
HPI: 76.71
Rank: 257
John Holmes
ACTOR
1944 - 1988
HPI: 76.70
Rank: 258
Ben Affleck
ACTOR
1972 - Present
HPI: 76.63
Rank: 259
Robert Andrews Millikan
PHYSICIST
1868 - 1953
HPI: 76.61
Rank: 260
Among INVENTORS In United States
Among inventors born in United States, Eli Whitney ranks 4. Before him are Thomas Edison (1847), Henry Ford (1863), and Samuel Morse (1791). After him are Lee de Forest (1873), Jimmy Wales (1966), Samuel Colt (1814), Bob Kahn (1938), Herman Hollerith (1860), Robert Fulton (1765), Steve Wozniak (1950), and George Westinghouse (1846).
Thomas Edison
1847 - 1931
HPI: 91.65
Rank: 1
Henry Ford
1863 - 1947
HPI: 82.33
Rank: 2
Samuel Morse
1791 - 1872
HPI: 80.49
Rank: 3
Eli Whitney
1765 - 1825
HPI: 76.75
Rank: 4
Lee de Forest
1873 - 1961
HPI: 76.60
Rank: 5
Jimmy Wales
1966 - Present
HPI: 75.20
Rank: 6
Samuel Colt
1814 - 1862
HPI: 74.94
Rank: 7
Bob Kahn
1938 - Present
HPI: 73.96
Rank: 8
Herman Hollerith
1860 - 1929
HPI: 73.59
Rank: 9
Robert Fulton
1765 - 1815
HPI: 73.39
Rank: 10
Steve Wozniak
1950 - Present
HPI: 73.34
Rank: 11
George Westinghouse
1846 - 1914
HPI: 72.92
Rank: 12