Electrical Knowledge and History
The following document was written by L.W. Brittian. We will be starting a series on influential figures of the electrical trade based on the great men he has listed below:
Reviewing the recorded history of ancient times no significant understanding of electricity is indicated. While some have speculated that Salomon's temple had a form of lightning protection system, the preponderance of the evidence to date does not support this thesis. The ancient Greeks knowledge covered only acknowledgment of the existence of atmospheric lightning strikes, of the Aurora Borealis, of amber and friction and of the electric eel. No single nation or elite club of nations has maintained long term and significant leadership in knowledge of electricity. In support of this statement consider that the word electricity was first used by an Englishman named Gilbert in 1603, that the electrical unit "Volt" was named after an Italian, the Ohm after a German, the Watt after a Scotsman, and the Ampere after a Frenchman. Secondly reflect upon the countries listed below with the names that are associated with some facet of electricity.
While we Americans point with justified pride to the contributions of misters Edison, Franklin, Henry, Millikan, and Westinghouse they were but part of a globally developing industry. Due in part to the limits of communication during the time in which their individual contributions were made, in several cases two or more men were working on the same problem, or invention without knowledge of and without the potential cross pollination like benefit to be gained from awareness, inspiration, and motivating effects of the activities of others. Electrical history is filled with examples of serial, and incremental improvements upon inventions and in retrospect seemingly crude ideas first developed by others.
Many of these great men, such as Mr. Ohm were looked upon as fools, when they attempted to communicate to others their discoveries. Mr. Ohm was but one of several men who lived for many years without receiving the professional credit they were justly due for their discoveries. The contribution of each unique individual may be better appreciated by reflection upon the words of Bernard of Charters "Dwarfs standing on the shoulders of giants" The following is a brief, incomplete listing of some of the men who today are gratefully acknowledged as having contributing to our vast, yet still imperfect understanding of electricity over a period of about four hundred and fifty years. While these names are mostly western, I am confident that additions from other nations could be quickly added by electrical historians.
- Gilbert 1544-1603 Englishman
- Gray 1666-1736 Englishman
- Du Fay 1698-1739 Frenchman
- Franklin 1706-1790 American
- Cavendish 1713-1810 Englishman
- Coulomb 1736-1806 Frenchman
- Watt 1736-1819 Scotsman
- Galvani 1737-1798 Italian
- Ohm 1789-1845 German
- Ampere 1775-1836 Frenchman
- Volt 1745-1827 Italian
- Salva 1751-1828 Spaniard
- Orsted 1777-1851 Danish
- Christie 1784-1865 Englishman
- Faraday 1791-1867 Englishman
- Henry 1792-1878 American
- Callan 1799-1864 Irishman
- Jedlik 1800-1985 Hungarian
- Wheatstone 1802-1875 Englishman
- Weber 1804-1891 German
- Gibbs 1810-1880 Englishman
- Siemens 1816-1892 German
- Joule 1818-1889 Englishman
- Kelvin 1824-1907 Scottish
- Swain 1828-1914 Englishman
- Maxwell 1831-1879 Scottish
- Lentz 1831-1879 Russian
- Steinmetz 1831-1923 German-American
- Westinghouse 1846-1914 American
- Ferraris 1847-1897 Italian
- Bell 1847-1922 Scottish
- Edison 1847-1931 American
- Hopkinson 1849-1898 Englishman
- Gaulard 1850-1888 Frenchman
- Parsons 1854-1931 Englishman
- Thomson 1856-1940 Englishman
- Tesla 1856-1943 Croatia
- Sprague 1857-1934 American
- Stanley 1858-1916 American
- Blathy 1860-1939 Hungarian
- Dolivo-Dobrovolsky 1862-1919 Russian
- Ferranti 1864-1930 Englishman
- Warner 1868-1938 American
- Millikan 1868-1953 American
It has been said with some validity, that the world was electrified between 1917 and 1945, or between World Wars one and two. While some designate the age of the discovery of electricity to be from around 1750 to 1890, it was between 1920 and 1950 that it came to have its ubiquitous impact upon the everyday lives of people of the economically developed world. By the 1920s most major cities in the United States had an electrical power distribution system within their borders. The result was that electrical appliances began to fill both workplaces and homes across America. While the use of electricity did not eliminate fires in homes and workplaces, it did help to reduce the risk of fire associated with open flame gas lights common at the time.
This march of progress has not been free of cost in terms of human suffering. Many people have been injured, and killed researching, installing, testing, operating, and maintaining electrical equipment. Thankfully this investment of human pain and suffering has not been in vain, as the knowledge gained from the lessons learned has facilitated many safety improvements.
Exercise caution as this pain filled learning curve continues today. Please, be careful when working with the un-seen potential killer we call electricity.
L.W. Brittian
Mechanical & Electrical Instructor
