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In 1746 Benjamin Franklin first shocked himself when experimenting with electricity with his home leading to further experiments.
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On June 10 1752 Benjamin Franklin attached a key to a kite and flew it in a thunderstorm where it was struck with lightning, setting the stage for later findings about electricity.
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In 1821, William Hart dug the first well intended for natural gas in the United States. Natural gas was used as a source of light.
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In 1834 Thomas Davenport created the first electric motor powerful enough to do a task.
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In the year 1879 Thomas Edison and his team tested numerous options for light bulb designs but in November of 1879 filed for a patent an electric lamp with carbon filament. These led to all of the lights we use today however Joseph Swan did indeed create the first ever light bulb in 1878.
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Charles Bush develops the world's first windmill that can generate electricity.
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Albert Einstein published his theory on the photovoltaic effect describing the transfer of light into energy. Describing how light has packets of energy thus popularizing the idea of solar energy and sharing what the earlier scientists had not realized about light.
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Henry Ford designs a car that can run on either ethanol or gasoline.
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John Grant drilled the first geothermal well in California
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The Hoover Dam the world's largest hydroelectric power plant at its time is built. It was the largest producer of hydroelectricity in the world until 1948
http://alternativeenergy.procon.org/view.timeline.php?timelineID=000015
