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Mar 1, 600
Thales of Miletus *Date is not exact*
In 600 BCE, Thales discovered static electricity in Miletus, Asia Minor, which is now called Turkey. He rubbed a piece of amber with a silk cloth. After he rubbed the amber, feathers, grass, and other light objects became attracted to it. This is because the silk cloth easily gives up electrons, also known as negative charges, so the electrons went to the amber. As a result, the amber became electrically charged, and therefore, light objects became attracted to it. -
Ben Franklin *Date not exact*
Ben Franklin's ExperimentIn 1752, Ben Franklin experimented with lightning in Philadelphia. He believed that electricity could be harnessed from lightning, and did an experiment to prove his theory. He flew a kite in a storm, with a key attatched to the string. He gave up part way because he thought that it was not working. He noticed some threads on the string were elevated, and he believed that electricity was the cause. He then touched the key and was gently shocked. This is how he invented the lightning rod. -
Luigi Galvani *Date is not exact*
In 1786, Luigi Galvani, an Italian scientist and medical doctor, noticed that a spark could make a dead frog's leg move when two different metals were joined to it. He predicted that the spark traveled to and from the metal pieces through the frog's limb. His prediction was proven correct in a second experiment. He discovered that muscles move because of electrical impulses. This is why we know that the nervous system sends out electrical impulses and we move as a result. -
Alessandro Volta *Date is not exact*
After Galvani's muscle experiment, Italian scientist, Alessandro Volta conducted many experiments which led to him inventing the first battery in 1800. It was made of a pile of zinc and silver disks, with cardboard soaked in salt water between each disk, and a wire connecting the bottom zinc and top silver disks. Volta realized that it was the two distinct metals that made a spark, and not the frog (see Luigi Galvani). Volta's experiments led to the creation of future batteries. -
Hans Christian Oersted
On July 21, 1820, Oersted was teaching his students about electricity. He had prepared a contraption which consisted of a wire joined to a battery. A compass was nearby, so when Oersted started the contraption, the compass needle jumped, and pointed north under the influence of his contraption. Oersted discovered that electric currents cause magnetic fields. -
Michael Faraday *Date is not exact*
In 1831, Michael Faraday invented the electric motor. He discovered the principle of electromagnetic induction in 1831, and the electric motor was based on this principle. He found out that moving a magnet through a copper wire caused an electric current through the wire. -
Alexander Graham Bell *Date is not exact*
In the summer of 1876, Alexander Graham Bell, an Ontario inventor, developed the first telephone. He used a variety of different materials to make the phone, He used wire, metal, a magnet, and a battery. It was the first time that people could have a conversation when they were thousands of kilometres apart. This phone was able to convert sound into electricity and convert it back again. It is significant because it made communication easier. -
Thomas Alva Edison
The long lasting light bulb is one of the inventions of Thomas Alva Edison. He was very curious and always wanted to invent and discover new things. He invented the long lasting light bulb in 1879, but there were other light bulbs before this one. He used filament to create this bulb. Many other materials he tried before failed, but he kept trying. "Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration." says Thomas Edison. -
Edward Samuels Rogers Sr
In 1927, Edward Samuels Rogers Sr of Ontario invented the first radio that could be plugged into an outlet in the wall. This radio was Canada's First Rogers Batteryless Brodcasting Station. It had a power of approximately 1000 watts. The company Rogers is named after Edward Samuels Rogers Sr and Jr. -
Donald L Hings *Date is not exact*
In 1942, Donald L Hings invented the walkie talkie. The walkie talkie is his most known invention. At the time the Donald L Hings invented the walkie talkie, it was just called a two way field radio. At the beginning, the walkie talkie was ignored, but when war broke out, it was a piece of valuable technology. -
Roland Galarneau *Date is not exact*
In 1972, Canadian Roland Galarneau invented computerized braille. He was visually impaired since birth, which is a likely cause of him inventing this. This was called the Converto-Braille. It consisted of a home-made electromechanical computer, which was linked to a teletype machine which fed its memory. It worked at a rate of 100 wpm. It costed a large sum of money and a long time to create. However, it was worth it. -
Anita Luszszak *Date is not exact*
In 1987, Anita Luszszak invented the pulsating generator. She wa 15 years old. This pulsating generator used less electricity than the conventional power generators. This Albertan student won a gold medal with this invention at an international competition (for inventors). 20% less energy was used to produce the same amount of electrical power than the conventional power generators.
