Willis Carrier and air conditioning.

Willis Haviland Carrier was born on November 26, 1876, in Angola, New York. He was raised on a family farm, but developed an interest in engineering from a young age. He attended Cornell University on a scholarship, receiving his master’s degree in electrical engineering in 1901. Carrier achieved his first major scientific breakthrough in 1902 at the age of 25 while employed at the Buffalo Forge company. The company produced heating and air exhaust systems. Carrier’s early work earned him a promotion to head of the company’s experimental engineering department.