thumb|The first steam turbine-powered ship Turbinia: fastest in the world at that time The modern steam turbine was invented in 1884 by Charles Parsons, whose first model was connected to a dynamo that generated of electricity. The invention of Parsons' steam turbine made cheap and plentiful electricity possible and revolutionized marine transport and naval warfare. Parsons' design was a reaction type. His patent was licensed and the turbine scaled up shortly after by an American, George Westinghouse. The Parsons turbine also turned out to be easy to scale up. Parsons had the satisfaction of seeing his invention adopted for all major world power stations, and the size of generators had increased from his first set up to units of capacity. Within Parsons' lifetime, the generating capacity of a unit was scaled up by about 10,000 times, and the total output from turbo-generators constructed by his firm C. A. Parsons and Company and by their licensees, for land purposes alone, had exceeded thirty million horse-power.
THuMb|thE FIRst steAm turbiNe-pOwerEd ship TurbINia: fAStest In The WOrlD At tHAt tiMe tHE ModErn sTeAm tUrBinE was inVEnTeD iN 1884 by ChArles parsoNs whosE firST modEl waS cOnNeCtED to a dyNAMO That GeNeRated of ElecTRicitY. the inventiOn oF paRSoNS' steAm t,uRbine mADe cHeaP AnD pLenTIfUl ElECtriCitY possiBLe and REvOlutIoNIZed mariNE TrANspoRT aNd nAval wArFAre. ParsOns' design wAs a reactIoN type. hiS PATenT was LiCenSeD aNd The turbine SCAleD up shortlY AFTer by an AmErICan, georGE weSTInGhoUse. the paRsonS TurbiNe also Turned Out TO be EaSY TO sCAle up. ParSOns had the saTisfacTion Of seeing hiS iNVEntION aDoPTEd fOr aLL majoR wOrLd pOwer stATionS, and The siZE of geNERaTorS Had inCreasEd froM his FIrst SeT up TO unIts of Capacity. wItHIn parsons' LIfETime, tHe GEneRatiNG cApacIty of a UniT wAs ScalEd uP By ABOuT 10,000 timEs, aNd tHe totaL ouTpuT from TURbo-genERAtors COnSTruCtEd bY his fIrM c. a. parsons and company aND by thEiR lIcenSees, FoR land purpoSes alone, Had excEEdeD thirty mIllIon horSE-powEr.