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Year: 1752​

Who: Benjamin Banneker​

Where: Family Farm outside Baltimore

What: Benjamin Banneker's journey as an engineer began with an act of ingenuity that would become legendary. In 1752, on his family’s farm near Baltimore, Banneker borrowed a pocket watch from a friend, not just to tell time but to study its intricate mechanisms. Fascinated by its design, he took detailed notes and carefully scaled up its parts to construct something extraordinary: a wooden clock. Crafted entirely by hand, the clock was the first of its kind in America and kept precise time for decades. This remarkable achievement spoke not only to his mechanical brilliance but also to his resourcefulness, as he worked with basic tools and materials available on his farm. News of the clock spread, earning him early acclaim as a self-taught engineer and inventor.

Banneker’s mechanical skills were not confined to the farm. Decades later, his reputation caught the attention of none other than Thomas Jefferson, who recommended Banneker for a role on the surveying team responsible for designing the layout of the nation’s capital, Washington, D.C. Despite facing racial prejudice, Banneker worked alongside the team, contributing his precise calculations and methodical approach to one of the most significant engineering projects in early American history. His involvement in such a monumental task highlighted his exceptional talent and affirmed his place as a key figure in shaping the physical infrastructure of the young United States.

But Banneker’s engineering mind reached beyond clocks and surveys. He turned his technical skills to science and sustainability, creating a self-sufficient garden on his farm without the use of enslaved labor, modeling sustainable practices well ahead of his time. His work on almanacs, packed with astronomical data, tide charts, and weather predictions, showcased his ability to bridge science, engineering, and practical application. In every endeavor, Banneker’s story shines as a testament to ingenuity and resilience, leaving a legacy that continues to inspire.

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Johns Hopkins University
2800 N. Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21218

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