You’ve heard about Thomas Edison and his lightbulb, as well as Benjamin Franklin’s famous kite experiment. And you may even think they invented electricity. But electricity as a concept and as a modern convenience has a more complex history extending over multiple centuries.

‍

Who Discovered Electricity?

Electricity wasn’t so much invented as discovered. But who found electricity first. The first observable instance of electricity goes back to Ancient Egypt, where some noted the shock-like effect of electric fish on human skin.

From here, notable individuals and developments include:

• Thales of Miletus: Around 600 BC, this Greek philosopher rubbed amber with fur and saw static electricity in action.
• William Gilbert: During the 16^th century, Gilbert created the term electricity from elektron, the Greek word for amber. He was also the first person to use the terms electric force, magnetic pole, and electric attraction.
• Benjamin Franklin: During the 18^th century, Franklin conducted multiple experiments to observe electricity and the path lightning takes. His studies — most notably, his kite experiment — led to the creation of the lightning rod.

Interesting Fact: Power in your home is alternating current, but devices that use batteries, such as laptop computers, rely on direct current for charging. This is why you’ll find a converter tied in to your computer cord; it’s a a AC to DC converter.