Believe it or not, electricity didn't begin when Benjamin Franklin flew
his kite during a rainstorm, or when light bulbs were installed in houses
all around the world. In fact, electricity has always been around. As you
may not know, elctricity exists in nature. Lightning is simply a flow of
electrons between the ground and the clouds. When you touch something and
get a shock, that is really electricity moving into you. The motors, light
bulbs, and batteries of today aren't needed for electricity to exist. They
are just creative inventions
brought about through man's quest to discover and use electricity.
Even though no one had a clue what it all meant back then, the first discoveries
of electricity were made back in ancient Greece. Greek philosophers discovered
that when amber is rubbed against cloth, lightweight objects will stick
to it. This is the basis of static electricity.
Scientists have worked with electricity throughout history to build it to what it is today. We've all heard of the famous ones such as Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Edison, but there have been many other inventors in history that were a part in the electricity's development.
A Chronological History of Electrical Development, National Electrical Manufacturers Association, New York, NY, 1946