John Philip Holland

1840–1914 (age 74)

Inventor

Biography

John Philip Holland was an Irish-born engineer whose curiosity about the sea and a keen grasp of emerging technologies inspired him to refine and perfect the submarine. His inventive spirit and persistence convinced naval officials that a self-propelled, powered vessel could truly operate beneath the waves.

By the time of his passing in 1914 he had secured his place as a pioneer of modern naval engineering, leaving a legacy of innovation embraced by navies around the world and remembered with quiet reverence at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery.