Horse-Drawn and Steam-Powered Buses
French savant Blaise Pascal is lauded for his contributions to the disciplines of math, science and religion — and transportation too? Indeed, the boy genius pioneered the first bus service in 1662. His idea wasn't too far off from modern-day bus systems: he dreamt up a system of fixed routes around Paris, powered by seven horse-driven carriages that could carry multiple people at a time. But the feudal society meant that the public-transit system wasn't open to all, and within a few years the idea had fizzled out. Buses didn't reappear until the 1820s, when the Industrial Revolution brought bigger ideas — and better power. Using the newfound capabilities of steam power, bus networks in London, Paris and New York City popped up and were heavily utilized until the benefits of railway travel were unearthed in the mid-1800s.