History of electricity

The Greeks first discovered electricity about 3000 years ago. Its name came from the word 'elektron', which means amber. Amber is a yellow, fossilised rock found in tree sap, and the Greeks found that if they rubbed amber against wool, lightweight objects (such as straw or feathers) would stick to it. This form of electricity is known as static electricity.

The American writer, scientist, diplomat and inventor, Benjamin Franklin, started working with electricity in the 1740s. He performed different experiments to try to understand more about it, and eventually proved that lightning (a form of static electricity) flowed like water.

In 1821, English scientist Michael Faraday discovered how to make an electrical current. He found that when a magnet spins inside a coil of copper wire, a tiny electrical current flows through the wire, creating an electrical charge. This is the principle of how electricity is made today.

In 1879, American inventor Thomas Edison developed the first practical incandescent lamp. Edison also developed a new direct current generator which, when coupled with a steam engine, made today's large-scale electricity generation possible.