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Jan 1, 1300
Beginning of Wind Power
The first horizontal-axis windmills (like a pinwheel) appeared in Western Europe. -
Natural Gas
French explorers discovered Native Americans burning gases that were seeping into and around Lake Erie. -
The first commercial U.S. coal production began near Richmond, Virginia
Coal was used to manufacture shot, shell, and other war material during the Revolutionary War. -
Hydropower was beginning to be used for electricity.
The first hydroelectric plants were direct current (DC) stations used to power nearby arc and incandescent lighting. -
Ethanol
Samuel Morey developed an engine that ran on ethanol and turpentine -
Street lamps in the city of Niagara Falls were powered by hydropower (direct current)
The use of hyro-powered energy is successful. -
The United Mine Workers of America was formed.
The United Mine Workers of America (UMW or UMWA) is a North American labor union best known for representing coal miners and coal technicians. -
Windmills in California pumped saltwater to evaporate ponds.
This provided gold miners with salt -
The Atomic Energy Act of 1954 was passed.
It was the first major amendment of the original Energy Act, which gave the civilian nuclear energy program further access to nuclear technology. -
The Soviet Union detonated its first atomic device
The Soviet project to develop an atomic bomb began during World War II, in the wake of the USSR's discovery of American efforts to develop nuclear weapons.
