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A mathematician named Thales of Miletus realized that polishing a piece of amber with wool created a static charge and he recorded his findings.
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William Gilbert, and English scientist coined the word 'electricity' from the Greek word 'elektron'.
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Edison's invention, the first commercially viable lightbulb, went mainstream
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A utility company begins to sell electricity from a power station in San Francisco to people using power transmission lines.
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Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla clashed over which type of electricity supply was best. Edison advocated for Direct Current (DC) while Tesla advocated for Alternating (AC) Current. Tesla won the battle.
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Sir Charles Parsons invented the steam turbine, which converts thermal energy into electrical energy. This led to cheaper and more abundant electricity.
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Albert Einstein discovers photovoltaic cells, which is the technology used in solar cells.
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A power station in Idaho produces electricity from a nuclear reactor for the first time.
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The first commercial power station starts generating electricity in Islay, Scotland. It produces enough electricity to power 400 houses