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1600: William Gilbert(England) first coined the term "electricity" from "elektron," the Greek word for amber. Gilbert wrote about the electrification of many substances. He was also the first person to use the terms electric force, magnetic pole, and electric attraction.
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1826: Georg Ohm (Germany) defined the relationship between power, voltage, current and resistance in Ohms Law.
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1837: Thomas Davenport(U.S.) invented the electric motor, an invention that is used in most electrical appliances today.
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1860s: Mathematical theory of electromagnetic fields published. J.C. Maxwell (Scotland) created a new era of physics when he unified magnetism, electricity and light. Maxwell's four laws of electrodynamics ("Maxwell's Equations") eventually led to electric power, radios, and television.
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1888: Nikola Tesla (U.S. immigrant from Austrian Empire) demonstrated the first polyphase alternating current (AC) electrical system. His AC system included everything needed for electricity production and use: generator, transformers, transmission system, motor (used in appliances) and lights. George Westinghouse, the head of Westinghouse Electric Company, bought the patent rights to the AC system. Charles Brush(U.S.) was the first to use a large windmill to generate electricity.
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1895-1896: The Niagara Falls hydropower station opened. It originally provided electricity to the local area. One year later, when a new alternating current (AC) powerline was opened, electric power from Niagara Falls was sent to customers over 20 miles away in Buffalo, New York.
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1953: IBM's 701 EDPM was the first commercially successful general-purpose computer.
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The first electronic desktop calculators were the Anita Mk VII and Mk 8 which used vacuum tube technology.
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1972 Steve Russell (U.S.) invented Spacewar! The first game intended for computer use.
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1879: After many experiments, Thomas Edison (U.S.) invented an incandescent light bulb that could be used for about 40 hours without burning out. By 1880 his bulbs could be used for 1200 hours. Electric lights (Brush arc lamps) were first used for public street lighting in Cleveland, Ohio. California Electric Light Company, Inc. in San Fransicso was the first electric company to sell electricity to customers. The company used two small Brush generators to power 21 Brush arc light lamps.
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1993: The first PDAs or Personal Digital Assistants are released by the Apple Corporation(U.S.).
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1998: Ericsson, IBM, Intel, and Nokia cooperated to develop Bluetooth technology that allows wireless communication between mobile phones, laptops, pcs, printers, digital cameras, and video gam consoles.
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The iPOD, a portable media player, was launched by the Apple Corporation.2004: With the full color range of the high power light emitting diodes (LEDs), more advanced architectural designs and stage and studio lighting were developed. Colored LEDs reduce power consumption.