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600 BCE
Electricity was first discovered
A mathematician named Thales of Miletus realized that polishing a piece of amber with wool created a static charge and he recorded his findings. -
The word electricity was coined
William Gilbert, and English scientist coined the word 'electricity' from the Greek word 'elektron'. -
Thomas Edison invented the lightbulb
Edison's invention, the first commercially viable lightbulb, went mainstream -
Commercialization of electricity
A utility company begins to sell electricity from a power station in San Francisco to people using power transmission lines. -
War of Currents
Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla clashed over which type of electricity supply was best. Edison advocated for Direct Current (DC) while Tesla advocated for Alternating (AC) Current. Tesla won the battle. -
Modern steam turbine invented
Sir Charles Parsons invented the steam turbine, which converts thermal energy into electrical energy. This led to cheaper and more abundant electricity. -
Einstein and photovoltaic cells
Albert Einstein discovers photovoltaic cells, which is the technology used in solar cells. -
Nuclear Power
A power station in Idaho produces electricity from a nuclear reactor for the first time. -
First commercial power station
The first commercial power station starts generating electricity in Islay, Scotland. It produces enough electricity to power 400 houses