The Most Famous
INVENTORS from Sweden
Top 8
The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary Swedish Inventors of all time. This list of famous Swedish Inventors is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity.
1. John Ericsson (1803 - 1889)
With an HPI of 58.39, John Ericsson is the most famous Swedish Inventor. His biography has been translated into 25 different languages on wikipedia.
John Ericsson (born Johan Ericsson; July 31, 1803 – March 8, 1889) was a Swedish-American engineer and inventor. He was active in England and the United States. Ericsson collaborated on the design of the railroad steam locomotive Novelty, which competed in the Rainhill Trials on the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, which were won by inventor George Stephenson's (1781–1848), Rocket. Later in North America, he designed the United States Navy's first screw-propelled steam-frigate USS Princeton, in partnership with Captain (later Commodore) Robert F. Stockton (1795–1866) of the U.S. Navy, who unjustly blamed him for the fatal accident of that new vessel. A new partnership with Cornelius H. DeLamater (1821–1889), of the DeLamater Iron Works in New York City resulted in the first armoured ironclad warship equipped with a rotating gun turret, USS Monitor, which dramatically saved the U.S. (Union Navy) naval blockading squadron from destruction by an ironclad Confederate States naval vessel, CSS Virginia, at the famous Battle of Hampton Roads harbor at the southern mouth of the Chesapeake Bay (at the confluence of the James and Elizabeth Rivers) in March 1862, during the American Civil War (1861-1865).
2. Gideon Sundback (1880 - 1954)
With an HPI of 57.24, Gideon Sundback is the 2nd most famous Swedish Inventor. His biography has been translated into 43 different languages.
Otto Fredrik Gideon Sundbäck (April 24, 1880 – June 21, 1954) was a Swedish-American electrical engineer, who is most commonly associated with his work in the development of the zipper.
3. Lars Magnus Ericsson (1846 - 1926)
With an HPI of 54.64, Lars Magnus Ericsson is the 3rd most famous Swedish Inventor. His biography has been translated into 19 different languages.
Lars Magnus Ericsson (Swedish pronunciation: [lɑːʂ ˈmǎŋːnɵs ˈêːrɪkˌsɔn] ; 5 May 1846 – 17 December 1926) was a Swedish inventor, entrepreneur and founder of telephone equipment manufacturer Ericsson (incorporated as Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson).
4. Sven Gustaf Wingqvist (1876 - 1953)
With an HPI of 50.91, Sven Gustaf Wingqvist is the 4th most famous Swedish Inventor. His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.
Sven Gustaf Wingqvist (10 December 1876 – 17 April 1953) was a Swedish engineer, inventor, and industrialist, and one of the founders of Svenska Kullagerfabriken (SKF), one of the world's leading ball bearing and roller bearing makers. Sven Wingqvist invented the multi-row self-aligning ball bearing in 1907.
5. Nils Bohlin (1920 - 2002)
With an HPI of 50.30, Nils Bohlin is the 5th most famous Swedish Inventor. His biography has been translated into 16 different languages.
Nils Ivar Bohlin (17 July 1920 – 26 September 2002) was a Swedish mechanical engineer and inventor who invented the three-point safety belt while working at Volvo.
6. Ernst Alexanderson (1878 - 1975)
With an HPI of 48.70, Ernst Alexanderson is the 6th most famous Swedish Inventor. His biography has been translated into 27 different languages.
Ernst Frederick Werner Alexanderson (January 25, 1878 – May 14, 1975) was a Swedish-American electrical engineer and inventor who was a pioneer in radio development. He invented the Alexanderson alternator, an early radio transmitter used between 1906 and the 1930s for longwave long distance radio transmission. Alexanderson also created the amplidyne, a direct current amplifier used during the Second World War for controlling anti-aircraft guns.
7. Victor Hasselblad (1906 - 1978)
With an HPI of 48.49, Victor Hasselblad is the 7th most famous Swedish Inventor. His biography has been translated into 16 different languages.
Victor Hasselblad (8 March 1906 – 5 August 1978) was a Swedish inventor and photographer, known for inventing the Hasselblad 6x6 cm medium format camera.
8. Simone Giertz (b. 1990)
With an HPI of 28.21, Simone Giertz is the 8th most famous Swedish Inventor. Her biography has been translated into 22 different languages.
Simone Luna Louise Söderlund Giertz ( YETSH; Swedish: [ˈjæʈːʂ]; born 1 November 1990) is a Swedish inventor, maker, robotics enthusiast, TV host, and professional YouTuber. She has also previously worked in mixed martial arts sports journalism and was an editor for Sweden's official website Sweden.se.
People
Pantheon has 8 people classified as Swedish inventors born between 1803 and 1990. Of these 8, 1 (12.50%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living Swedish inventors include Simone Giertz. The most famous deceased Swedish inventors include John Ericsson, Gideon Sundback, and Lars Magnus Ericsson. As of April 2024, 2 new Swedish inventors have been added to Pantheon including Sven Gustaf Wingqvist, and Nils Bohlin.
Living Swedish Inventors
Go to all RankingsDeceased Swedish Inventors
Go to all Rankings
John Ericsson
1803 - 1889
HPI: 58.39
Gideon Sundback
1880 - 1954
HPI: 57.24
Lars Magnus Ericsson
1846 - 1926
HPI: 54.64
Sven Gustaf Wingqvist
1876 - 1953
HPI: 50.91
Nils Bohlin
1920 - 2002
HPI: 50.30
Ernst Alexanderson
1878 - 1975
HPI: 48.70
Victor Hasselblad
1906 - 1978
HPI: 48.49
Newly Added Swedish Inventors (2024)
Go to all RankingsOverlapping Lives
Which Inventors were alive at the same time? This visualization shows the lifespans of the 6 most globally memorable Inventors since 1700.
