George Stephenson of England built the Rocket with his son, Robert, in 1829. It was the fastest steam locomotive of its time, with a speed of 36 miles (58 kilometers) per hour.

The Granger Collection, New York

Blower-scavenged, two-stroke-cycle engine with uniflow scavenging.

Open-cycle constant-pressure gas-turbine engine.

Certain types of gasoline engines.

Peanuts, one of Senegal's most important crops, are loaded high on a truck for transport in the town of Fatick.

Ichiro Suzuki established himself as the best baseball player in Japan before joining the American major leagues. As a member of the Seattle Mariners, Suzki captured Rookie of the Year and Golden Glove honors.

Among the best-received buildings of the year was the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, Ger., shown here with the Daimler plant in the background.

Harry Melchert—dpa/Corbis