A Timeline of Electricity

A chronological look at the discoveries and inventions that turned electricity into a cornerstone of modern life.

Electricity was not invented in a single moment. It emerged through centuries of experiments, debates, and breakthroughs. This timeline highlights the pivotal milestones and the people behind them, with references for further reading.

Timeline of key milestones

  • 600 BCE – Static electricity observed: Thales of Miletus noted that rubbing amber attracted lightweight objects, an early observation of electrostatic forces. [1]
  • 1600 – Coining the term “electricity”: English scientist William Gilbert published De Magnete, differentiating magnetism from the “electrica” effect and giving us the word “electricity.” [2]
  • 1752 – Lightning is electrical: Benjamin Franklin’s kite experiment showed that lightning is electrical in nature, inspiring the lightning rod and popularizing electrical research. [3]
  • 1780 – Bioelectricity demonstrated: Luigi Galvani observed frog legs twitch when touched by metal, revealing that electricity also flows in biological systems. [4]
  • 1800 – The first battery: Alessandro Volta built the voltaic pile, providing the first continuous source of electric current and opening the door to practical experiments. [5]
  • 1820 – Electromagnetism linked: Hans Christian Ørsted discovered that electric currents create magnetic fields, connecting electricity and magnetism. [6]
  • 1831 – Generation through induction: Michael Faraday demonstrated electromagnetic induction, showing that moving magnets near coils could generate current— the foundation of modern generators and transformers. [7]
  • 1879 – Commercial electric light: Thomas Edison developed a long-lasting incandescent bulb and built the Pearl Street Station in 1882 to distribute electric power for lighting. [8]
  • 1888 – Alternating current breakthrough: Nikola Tesla’s polyphase AC motors and transformers, combined with George Westinghouse’s systems engineering, made long-distance power transmission efficient. [9]
  • 1895 – First large AC hydro plant: The Niagara Falls power project used Tesla’s AC technology to transmit power to Buffalo, New York, proving AC viable at scale. [10]
  • 1920s–1930s – Rural electrification and grid growth: Utilities expanded interconnected grids and standardized voltages and frequencies, enabling reliable regional power systems. [11]
  • 1947 – Birth of electronics revolution: The transistor, invented at Bell Labs by Bardeen, Brattain, and Shockley, paved the way for modern power electronics and control systems. [12]
  • 1960s–1970s – Power electronics and HVDC: Advances in thyristors enabled high-voltage direct current (HVDC) links and flexible control of power flows. [13]
  • 1990s–present – Smart grids and renewables: Digital controls, synchrophasors, and inverter-based resources have transformed grid operations, enabling renewable integration and resilience. [14]

References

  1. Scientific American. "Who first discovered electricity?" (Explains early electrostatic observations.)
  2. Gilbert, W. *De Magnete* (1600).
  3. Franklin, B. "Experiments and Observations on Electricity" (1751–1753 collections).
  4. Galvani, L. *Commentary on Animal Electricity* (1791).
  5. Volta, A. "On the electricity excited by the mere contact of conducting substances" (1800 letter to the Royal Society).
  6. Ørsted, H. C. "Experiments on the Effect of a Current of Electricity on the Magnetic Needle" (1820).
  7. Faraday, M. *Experimental Researches in Electricity* (1831 notes).
  8. Smithsonian National Museum of American History. "Lighting a Revolution: Edison's Electric Light."
  9. Tesla, N. "A New System of Alternating Current Motors and Transformers" (1888); Westinghouse archives on AC power systems.
  10. National Park Service. "Niagara Power Project" historical overview.
  11. U.S. Rural Electrification Act (1936) and IEEE Power & Energy Magazine histories of grid growth. REA text.
  12. Bell Labs. "A transistor chronology" and related archival material.
  13. IEEE Spectrum. "The Thyristor Turns 50" (2007) on HVDC and power electronics milestones.
  14. U.S. Department of Energy. "Grid Modernization" fact sheets and NERC reports on synchrophasors and inverter integration.