Energy Timeline

  • Jan 1, 600

    Static Electricity

    Static Electricity
    Thales discovered this by rubbing 2 objects together.
  • Coal

    Coal
    Coal was discovered in Richmond, Virginia.
  • Oil

    Oil
    A French military officer noted that Indians living near Fort Duquesne (now the site of Pittsburgh) set fire to an oil-slicked creek as part of a religious ceremony.
  • First Battery

    First Battery
    Alessandro Volta (Italy) invented the first electric battery.
  • Windmill

    Windmill
    Daniel Halladay and John Burnham worked to build and sell the Halladay Windmill
  • Ethanol Fuel

    Ethanol Fuel
    German engine inventor Nicholas Otto used ethanol as the fuel in one of his engines
  • Streetcar

    Streetcar
    The electric streetcar was invented by E.W. v. Siemens
  • Union formed

    Union formed
    The United Mine Workers of America was formed.
  • Electricity

    Electricity
    Electricity began to replace natural gas for lighting purposes.
  • Rdioactive Decay

    Rdioactive Decay
    Rutherford and Soddy published the theory of radioactive decay.