Etienne Lenoir (1822-1900), French engineer and inventor of the internal combustion engine. A self-taught engineer, Lenoir also worked on electroplating and telegraphy. Designed in 1859, his engine was powered by coal gas. The engine was a two-stroke piston and cylinder design, and was used to power a 'horseless carriage' and a boat, but the engine was only 4 percent efficient and of little use. Lenoir, awarded the Legion of Honour in 1881 for his telegraphy work, died in poverty. Image published in 1869.