I mentioned this story in a different thread and thought I'd share it.

John Harrison was an English joiner and clockmaker who invented the marine chronometer, a long-sought-after device for solving the problem of how to calculate longitude while at sea. Harrison's solution revolutionized navigation and greatly increased the safety of long-distance sea travel

Along the way he also invented the bi-metal strip used in temperature sensing equipment. We all have them in our houses and cars today.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Harrison