Most important events in the discovery of Electricity

The name electricity came to be known

1600 BCE

William Gilbert first coined the term "electricity" from the Greek word for amber

The name electricity came to be known

1600

William Gilbert first coined the term "electricity" from the Greek word for amber.

first machine with electricity

1660

Otto von Guericke invented the machine that produced static electricity.

The first electric machine

1663

Otto von Guericke invented the first electric generator, which produced static electricity by applying friction against a revolving ball of sulfur.

Discovery of the conduction of electricity.

1729

Stephen Gray discovered the conduction of electricity

Finding of positive and negative charges

1733

Charles Francois du Fay discovered that electricity comes in two forms which he called resinous(-) and vitreous(+)

Finding that lightning was electricity

1752

Benjamin Franklin invented the lightning rod - he demonstrated lightning was electricity.

First electric battery

1800

Alessandro Volta also proved that electricity could travel over wires.

Relationship between magnetism and electricity founded

1820

Finds of how the electrical currents affected the needle on a compass.Marie Ampere also discovered that a coil of wires acted like a magnet when a current is passed through it