Energy Timeline

By amars
  • 1 BCE

    Fire

    Fire
    Somewhere between 500,000 and 700,000 years ago, humans began burning wood and utilizing fire as a source of energy.

  • Fossil Fuels

    Fossil Fuels
    Around 1600, Great Britain began using coal and other fossil fuels as an energy source.

  • Steam Power

    Steam Power
    In the 1700s, James Watt perfected the steam engine, a forerunner for the Industrial Revolution.

  • Natural Gas

    Natural Gas
    In 1821, the first Natural Gas well in the US is drilled

  • Internal Combustion Engine

    In 1860, Jean Joseph Lenoir invented the first official internal combustion engine. This was the first machine that used oil to power itself.

  • First Solar Powered Dish

    First Solar Powered Dish
    The first solar powered system to create steam is manufactured in France.

  • Electrical Energy

    Electrical Energy
    First electric plant built by Thomas Edison.

  • Geothermal Energy

    Geothermal Energy
    First geothermal energy facility constructed in Boise.

  • First Biomass Engine

    First Biomass Engine
    In 1900, a vegetable oil based engine was demonstrated at the World Fair.

  • Wind Power

    Wind Power
    In 1927, the first commercial wind turbines were used to generate electricity for farmers.