The Resume

(February 5, 1840-November 24, 1916)
Born in Sangerville, Maine
Invented the maxim gun, the first portable, fully automatic machine gun (1885)
Became a British citizen (1899)
Knighted (1901)

Why he might be annoying:

He was inspired to invent the maxim gun when a friend said, 'If you want to make a pile of money, invent something that will enable these Europeans to cut each others' throats with greater facility.'
Before experimenting with the gun in his garden, he ran a newspaper announcement warning neighbors to keep their windows open to avoid broken glass.
While demonstrating the gun for Britain's royal family, he blasted the initials VR (for Victoria Regina) into the target.
He was an atheist, but claimed to be Protestant so he could enter Russia to sell guns to the tsar's army.
He tried to invent an airplane, but his design was aerodynamically unstable and uncontrollable.

Why he might not be annoying:

He also invented a mousetrap, an inhaler for bronchitis, a curling iron and various steam, oil and gas engines.
He installed the first electric lights in New York City, at the Equitable Building on Broadway.
To popularize the notion of flight he built Captive Flying Machine rides for British amusement parks; the one at Blackpool, built in 1904, is Europe's oldest operating amusement ride.
He went deaf from years of exposure to the noise of his guns.
His son Hiram P. Maxim invented the firearm silencer, albeit several years too late to save his dad's hearing.

Credit: C. Fishel

Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

• C. Fishel's Profiles [Series 38]
• Celebrities Born on the Same Date [February] (Ranked: 2051840)
• I am an Atheist
• I Died in 1916 (Ranked: 76)
• I Named My Kid After Myself
• I'm Deaf or Hard of Hearing
• Inventors
• Knights
• Life Magazine's Top 100 People of the Millennium [2000] (Ranked: 65)
• Look at Me, I'm Armed
• Profiles 31501-31750 (Ranked: 31742)
• Renounced U.S. Citizenship
• Weapon Namesakes

Year In Review:

For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
In 2023, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
In 2022, Out of 9 Votes: 55.56% Annoying
In 2021, Out of 11 Votes: 45.45% Annoying
In 2020, Out of 5 Votes: 60.0% Annoying
In 2019, Out of 6 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2018, Out of 8 Votes: 62.50% Annoying
In 2017, Out of 13 Votes: 53.85% Annoying
In 2016, Out of 12 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2015, Out of 16 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2014, Out of 11 Votes: 45.45% Annoying
In 2013, Out of 15 Votes: 53.33% Annoying
In 2012, Out of 48 Votes: 77.08% Annoying
In 2011, Out of 20 Votes: 50.0% Annoying