Abraham Darby I

Abraham Darby, in his later life called Abraham Darby the Elder, now sometimes known for convenience as Abraham Darby I, was a British ironmaster and foundryman. Born into an English Quaker family that played an important role in the Industrial Revolution, Darby developed a method of producing pig iron in a blast furnace fuelled by coke rather than charcoal. This was a major step forward in the production of iron as a raw material for the Industrial Revolution.

14 April 1678

Born on the same birth day (14 April): Anne Sullivan • Audrey Long • Barrett Martin • Bill Bennett • Bobbi Brown • Brian Adams (wrestler) • Elizabeth Symons, Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean • Guillaume LeBlanc • Jan Boklöv • Jean Fournet • Jim Smith (bassist) • Lothaire Bluteau • Mikhail Pletnev • Patrick Surtain II