Siemens, << SEE muhnz or ZEE muhnz, >> Sir Charles William (1823-1883), was a German-born engineer, inventor, and industrialist. He made important contributions to the steel and telegraph industries.
Siemens was born Karl Wilhelm Siemens in Lenthe, Germany, near Hanover, on April 4, 1823. In 1844, he moved to the United Kingdom, where he was known as William Siemens. Along with two brothers, he founded a company that became a leader in manufacturing and laying underwater telegraph cables. In 1856, William and his brother Friedrich invented the regenerative gas furnace. This furnace pioneered the open-hearth process of steelmaking and led to great increases in steel production (see Iron and Steel (The birth of modern steelmaking) ). William was knighted Sir Charles William Siemens by Queen Victoria in 1883. He died on Nov. 19, 1883.
