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History of Energy in the U.S.
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Coal in Virginia
Coal was discovered in Richmond, Virginia by Huguenot settlers. This was not the first time that coal was found in the United States. A few years before, the first coal was reported on a map by Louis Joliet. -
First Commercial Coal Production
This was a big year for coal in the United States because it was the first time that coal was every produced in the US. This historical event happened near Richmond, Virginia, the same place that coal was discovered 47 years before. This event did not actually happen on January 1st. Since the program requires that there is an exact date, January 1st has been used. -
Benjamin Franklin Discovers Electricity
Benjamin Franklin was flying his kite during a thunderstorm. This is when he discovered that ligthning is electricity. With his discovery, Benjamin Franklin opened the road to the investigation of electricity. This event did not actually happen on June 1st. However, it did happen sometime in June of 1752. Since the program requires that there is an exact date, June 1st has been used. -
Baltimore, Maryland Lit With Gas from Coal
The Gas Light Company was created which provided the people of Baltimore with gas made from coal. This was the first gas utility company in the US. The combustible gas from coal was used to power homes and the streets of Baltimore. The Gas Light Company made no profit for the first seven years, and it also ran into some technical problems. This event did not actually happen on January 1st. Since the program requires that there is an exact date, January 1st has been used. -
Edwin Drake Finds Oil
On this day in Titusville, Pennsylvania, history was made. Edwin Drake drills for the first time for oil. His oil well was very shallow for roday's standards being at only 69.5 feet deep. However, he was still very successful. It pumped out about eight to ten barrels of crude oil per day. He first collected the oil he drilled into an old bathtub. -
Austin Dam Completed
In Austin, Texas, a 60-foot dam, Austin Dam, was built. It was the first dam to be built for the sole purpose of producing hydropower. It was the largest dam to be built for the time period. It was supposed to provide cheap power to the citizens of Austin and lure industrialists and their cotton mills. Howeverm the dam was destroyed on April 7, 1900 by floodwaters. Tom Miller Dam now stands in its place. This event did not actually happen on January 1st. -
Model T Produced
The first Model T was prodced. It left the factory for the first time on September 27, 1908. This was the first successful car built by Henry Ford. This car was different from the others that Henry Ford had created because it was a flexible fuel car. It could run on gasoline, ethanol, or both. His first car that was built in 1896 ran on pure ethanol only. The factory was located in Detroit, Michigan. -
First Commerical Nuclear Power Plant
Not only was this nuclear power plant the first one built in the US, it was the first large-scale nuclear power plant that was built in the world. It was opened in Shippingport, Pennsylvania. It took three weeks to get the nuclear power plant to work to its full potential. It generates 60 megawatts of energy, and it provides energy to the Pittsburgh area. It creates energy by splittling uranium atoms. -
Nuclear Power Becomes Number 2
Nuclear power becomes the second largest source of energy in the United States. It has surpassed hydropower which had been in second behind coal. Now nuclear power is second behind coal. It produces about 14 percent of the electricity produced in the US. This event did not actually happen on January 1st. Since the program requires that there is an exact date, January 1st has been used. -
Hydrogen Refueling Station
The first hydrogen refueling station was opened in Washington D.C. It was opened by a joint effort by Shell and General Motors Corporation to open this refuelign station. It is to fuel hydrogen cars.
