Isambard Kingdom Brunel; FRS (9 April 1806 - 15 September 1859); was a leading British civil engineer; famed for his bridges and dockyards; and especially for the construction of the first major British railway; the Great Western Railway; a series of famous steamships; including the first propeller-driven transatlantic steamship; and numerous important bridges and tunnels. His designs revolutionised public transport and modern engineering.

Though Brunel's projects were not always successful; they often contained innovative solutions to long-standing engineering problems. During his short career; Brunel achieved many engineering 'firsts'; including assisting in the building of the first tunnel under a navigable river and the development of the SS Great Britain; the first propeller-driven ocean-going iron ship; which was at the time (1843) also the largest ship ever built.