5 Famous Faces Who Studied Engineering
22nd Mar 2013 ( updated 25th Mar 2013 ) - By Lucinda Borrell in Choosing a Course
It isn’t a degree that you’d necessarily associate with fame and fortune, but there are many iconic figures that have Engineering qualifications.
So whether you’re looking for a role model, or simply want some career inspiration, then you’ve come to the right place...
Rowan Atkinson
He might be better known for his roles on Not The Nine ‘o’Clock News, Blackadder and Mr Bean, but did you know that Rowan Atkinson studied Engineering at University? At Oxford, no less?
Born and educated in Durham, it was actually his time as a postgraduate at Queens College that encouraged Atkinson to go into acting. As well as completing his Engineering MSc, he also wrote and performed sketches for the Oxford University Theatres Society (OUTS) as well as the Experiemental Theatre Group (ETC), which led to his meeting with Blackadder writer Richard Curtis.
No, we can’t exactly imagine Mr Bean wandering the ancient halls of Oxford either...
Leonardo DaVinci
He is most famous for his artistic creations (The Last Supper and The Mona Lisa, to name but a few), but Leonardo DaVinci was also a mechanical genius. His notebook contained mechanical sketches and plans for a wide range of inventions, from a flying machines and tanks to musical instruments and bridge designs.
DaVinci did not attend University, but studied engineering himself while training as an artist under Andrea del Verrocchio. He moved to Milan in 1483 and worked as an engineer and sculptor for the ruling Sforza family.
However, DaVinci was very secretive about his work and he wrote in mirror script (reverse writing) to protect some of his more sensitive designs. In the 20th Century when engineers tried to recreate some of his work, it was suggested that minute, yet pivotal, details had been omitted from the images in order to prevent them falling into the wrong hands!
Alfred Hitchcock
Like Rowan Atkinson, Alfred Hitchcock started his career as a mechanic before entering the world of show business. After studying at the London County Council School of Engineering and Navigation in Poplar, London, he became a draftsman and designer with a cable company called Henley’s. It was while he was working here that his creative side was given the chance to shine, and he was a regular contributor to the company’s in-house publication – The Henley Telegraph.
Neil Armstrong
“One small step for (a) man, one giant leap for mankind” is probably one of the most famous phrases of the 20th century, and was televised across the world thanks to Neil Armstrong.
An engineering graduate of Purdue University 1955, Neil Armstrong is most famous for being the first man on the moon. Although he was selected for the space mission in 1962, it wasn’t until 1969 that NASA finally managed to complete their lunar mission.
Henry Ford
Henry Ford is most famous for founding Ford, one of the leading global car manufacturers. However, Ford didn’t always live life in the board room – he actually started out on the floor of the factory as a mechanical engineer.
In 1896, his employer encouraged him to experiment with different mechanical production techniques, and the pair then went into business manufacturing cars.
5 Engineering courses you may like...
Lucinda Borrell
So whether you’re looking for a role model, or simply want some career inspiration, then you’ve come to the right place...
Rowan Atkinson
He might be better known for his roles on Not The Nine ‘o’Clock News, Blackadder and Mr Bean, but did you know that Rowan Atkinson studied Engineering at University? At Oxford, no less?
Born and educated in Durham, it was actually his time as a postgraduate at Queens College that encouraged Atkinson to go into acting. As well as completing his Engineering MSc, he also wrote and performed sketches for the Oxford University Theatres Society (OUTS) as well as the Experiemental Theatre Group (ETC), which led to his meeting with Blackadder writer Richard Curtis.
No, we can’t exactly imagine Mr Bean wandering the ancient halls of Oxford either...
Leonardo DaVinci
He is most famous for his artistic creations (The Last Supper and The Mona Lisa, to name but a few), but Leonardo DaVinci was also a mechanical genius. His notebook contained mechanical sketches and plans for a wide range of inventions, from a flying machines and tanks to musical instruments and bridge designs.
DaVinci did not attend University, but studied engineering himself while training as an artist under Andrea del Verrocchio. He moved to Milan in 1483 and worked as an engineer and sculptor for the ruling Sforza family.
However, DaVinci was very secretive about his work and he wrote in mirror script (reverse writing) to protect some of his more sensitive designs. In the 20th Century when engineers tried to recreate some of his work, it was suggested that minute, yet pivotal, details had been omitted from the images in order to prevent them falling into the wrong hands!
Alfred Hitchcock
Like Rowan Atkinson, Alfred Hitchcock started his career as a mechanic before entering the world of show business. After studying at the London County Council School of Engineering and Navigation in Poplar, London, he became a draftsman and designer with a cable company called Henley’s. It was while he was working here that his creative side was given the chance to shine, and he was a regular contributor to the company’s in-house publication – The Henley Telegraph.
Neil Armstrong
“One small step for (a) man, one giant leap for mankind” is probably one of the most famous phrases of the 20th century, and was televised across the world thanks to Neil Armstrong.
An engineering graduate of Purdue University 1955, Neil Armstrong is most famous for being the first man on the moon. Although he was selected for the space mission in 1962, it wasn’t until 1969 that NASA finally managed to complete their lunar mission.
Henry Ford
Henry Ford is most famous for founding Ford, one of the leading global car manufacturers. However, Ford didn’t always live life in the board room – he actually started out on the floor of the factory as a mechanical engineer.
In 1896, his employer encouraged him to experiment with different mechanical production techniques, and the pair then went into business manufacturing cars.
5 Engineering courses you may like...
- 1) Critical Safety Engineering, Bangor University
- 2) Mechanical Engineering, Coventry University
- 3) Mechanical Engineering with Aeronautics, Brunel University
- 4) Computer Aided Mechanical Engineering, Glasgow Caledonian University
- 5) Mechanical and Offshore Engineering, Robert Gordon University
Lucinda Borrell
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