Who invented the harpoon cannon?
Sven (or Svend) Foyn (1809-1894) was a whaler born in Tønsberg in southeast Norway. In 1856, he invented the bow-mounted harpoon cannon, with an explosive head. This invention helped resuscitate the declining whaling industry. Some believe it began the era of modern whaling. Later “improvements” to Foyn’s harpoon shot compressed air into the whale, so that it would not sink before it could be dragged onto the whaling ship.
