Kirkpatrick Macmillan
Kirkpatrick Macmillan is best known for inventing the first pedal bicycle.
Synopsis
Born on September 2, 1812, in Keir Mill, Thornhill, Scotland, Kirkpatrick Macmillan was a blacksmith who, in 1837, built a “dandy” horse—a kind of bicycle on which the rider pushes himself along with his feet. Three years later, Macmillan had applied a crank to his machine, making the world’s first pedal cycle. The machine also included a wooden frame and iron-tired wheels. Macmillan’s invention was never patented, and for many years it was credited to one of his imitators, Gavin Dalzell. Macmillan died in his hometown on January 26, 1878.
