Henry Ford

Born the first child to William and Mary Ford in 1863, Henry grew up on a farm in Michigan. He went to school in a one-room schoolhouse and helped do chores on the farm. At a young age, he was very interested in how things worked.

He left home at the age of 16 to work with a machinist. He did odd jobs after that until he married Clara Bryant. At that point, he ran a sawmill. Finally, in 1891, he became an engineer at the Edison Illuminating Company in Detroit. He worked up through the ranks, which allowed him free time to work with engines. He created his own quadricycle, which was a bike on four wheels.

Ford went on to accomplish his dream of owning his own company and making his own car. In 1908, he introduced the Model T, but cars were still too expensive for most people. Ford invented the moving assembly line, which allowed him to make cars that were inexpensive, reliable, and efficient. Ford is credited with making the United States a nation of cars. His company is still around today. It is the Ford Motor Company.