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The institution of Radio Engineering has given a standard definition of electronics in the proceedings of ( IRE ) 1950, as filed of science and engineering which deals

with electronic devices and their origin or design and engineering and their utilization . In this case by electronic device means, it is a device in which conduction takes place by the movement of electron through vacuum, a gas or a semiconductor.

Lee De Forest

Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose

The real beginning in electronics was made in 1906 when Lee De Forest invented the vacuum triode tube. Although, Marconi was entitled with wireless communication across the Atlantic in 1901, but it was Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose who successfully did the first Radio Transmission in the world in 1900. The first commercial TV broadcast took place in 1941 while the colour TV broadcast sytem baceme possible in 1954.

However, the most important revolution perhaps, took place with the development of transistor in 1948 by John Bardn, Watter Bratwan and Willam Sheckly of Bell Telephone Laboratories. And since World War II there was a need for miniaturisation

of electronics devices and systems.

John Bardeen, Watter Bratwan and Willam Sheckly

In fact, the invention of transistor and its application immediately changed the whole concept of electronics engineering and equipments. As a result the world saw the miniaturisation of all types of electronic systems and equipments and resulted in more reliability, low-cost, higer speed production. This hence benefited the mankind. It is really surprising how in the past fifty years after the transistor has developed, the electronic engineering progressed so rapidly. In fact our past generations could not even perhaps dream of a world where one can speak from one bedroom to his friend from another continent with no disturbance or noise, as if speaking with someone in the next room, or even speaking face to face, by seeing the image of someone in another continent. All these have become possible with unbelievably tremendous development in the field of electronics during last fifty years.
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Going back with the vacuum triode tube, without this device, the amplifier (which in fact the heart of all intricate and complex electronic devices ) would not have been possible to be

developed. However, until the end of

World War II-around 1946, the vacuum tubes or valves dominated the field of electronics. Then in 1946 the invention of transistors changed every concept of electronics.

But with the almost fifteen years

Audion Tube by Lee de Forest

of its discovery, that is by 1962-1963, the process of miniaturisation of electronic equipments had gained transistor. The first integrated circuit, IC, appeared in the market by 1964-1965. Then men s desire to conquer the space accelerated their growth even further. Between 1980 and 1990 the unbelievable growth rate in electronic engineering takes place. Then the use of valves became almost obsolete in 1980 s.

Due to rapid development of IC-starting from Small Scale Integration (SSI), then Medium Scale Integration (MSI), Large Scale Integration (LSI) and now with the most recent, Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) techniques, the use of individual transistors becomes unnecessary. The very fast changes in techniques and designs have taken place in the past 20 years in such a rapid pace that it can be understood by the needing in reduction of size and price of modern digital computers.

600 B.C. Thales of Miletus writes about amber becoming charged by rubbing - he was describing

what we now call static electricity. 1600 English scientist, William Gilbert first coined the term "electricity" from the Greek word for amber. Gilbert wrote about the electrification of many substances in his "De magnete, magneticisique corporibus". He also first used the terms electric force, magnetic pole, and electric attraction. 1660 Otto von Guericke invented a machine that produced static electricity. 1675 Robert Boyle discovered that electric force could be transmitted through a vacuum and observed attraction and repulsion. 1729 Stephen Gray's discovery of the conduction of electricity. 1733 Charles Francois du Fay discovered that electricity comes in two forms which he called resinous(-)and vitreous(+). Benjamin Franklin and Ebenezer Kinnersley later renamed the two forms as positive and negative. 1745 Georg Von Kleist discovered that electricity was controllable. Dutch physicist, Pieter van Musschenbroek invented the "Leyden Jar" the first electrical capacitor. Leyden jars store static electricity.

1747 Benjamin Franklin experiments with static charges in the air and theorized about the existence of an electrical fluid that could be composed of particles. William Watson discharged a Leyden jar through a circuit, that began the comprehension of current and circuit. Henry Cavendish started measuring the conductivity of different materials. 1752 Benjamin Franklin invented the lightening rod - he demonstrated lightning was electricity. 1767 Joseph Priestley discovered that electricity followed Newton's inverse-square law of gravity. 1786 Italian physician, Luigi Galvani demonstrated what we now understand to be the electrical basis of nerve impulses when he made frog muscles twitch by jolting them with a spark from an electrostatic machine. 1800 First electric battery invented by Alessandro Volta. Volta proved that electricity could travel over wires. 1816 First energy utility in US founded. 1820 Relationship of electricity and magnetism confirmed by Hans Christian Oersted who observed that electrical currents effected the needle on a compass and Marie Ampere, who discovered that a coil of wires acted like a magnet when a current is passed thorough it. D. F. Arago invented the electromagnet.

1821 First electric motor invented by Michael Faraday. 1826 Ohms Law written by Georg Simon Ohm states that "conduction law that relates potential, current, and circuit resistance" 1827 Joseph Henry's electromagnetic experiments lead to the concept of electrical inductance. Joseph Henry built one of the first electrical motors. 1831 Principles of electromagnetism induction, generation and transmission discovered byMichael Faraday. 1837 First industrial electric motors. 1839 First fuel cell invented by Sir William Robert Grove, a Welsh judge, inventor and physicist. 1841 J. P. Joule's law of electrical heating published. 1873 James Clerk Maxwell wrote equations that described the electromagnetic field, and predicted the existence of electromagnetic waves traveling with the speed of light. 1878 Edison Electric Light Co. (US) and American Electric and Illuminating (Canada) founded.

1879 First commercial power station opens in San Francisco, uses Charles Brush generator and arc lights. First commercial arc lighting system installed, Cleveland, Ohio. Thomas Edison demonstrates his incandescent lamp, Menlo Park, New Jersey. 1880 First power system isolated from Edison. In Grand Rapids Michigan: Charles Brush arc light dynamo driven by water turbine used to provide theater and storefront illumination. 1881 Niagra Falls, New York; Charles Brush dynamo, connected to turbine in Quigley's flour mill lights city street lamps. 1882 Edison Company opens Pearl Street power station. The first hydroelectric power station opens in Wisconsin. 1883 The electric transformer is invented. Thomas Edison introduces the "three-wire" transmission system. 1884 Steam turbine invented by Charles Parsons. 1886 William Stanley develops transformer and Alternating Current electric system. Frank Sprague builds first American transformer and demonstrates use of step up and step down transformers for long distance AC power transmission in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. The Westinghouse Electric Company is organized. 40 to 50 water powered electric plants reported on line or under construction in the U.S. and Canada.

1887 In San Bernadino, California, the High Grove Station, first hydroelectric plant in the West is opened. 1888 Rotating field AC alternator invented by Nikola Tesla. 1889 Oregon City Oregon, Willamette Falls station, first AC hydroelectric plant. Single phase power transmitted 13 miles to Portland at 4,000 volts, stepped down to 50 volts for distribution. 1891 60 cycle AC system introduced in U.S. 1892 General Electric Company formed by the merger of Thomson-Houston and Edison General Electric. 1893 Westinghouse demonstrates "universal system" of generation and distribution at Chicago exposition. In Austin, Texas, the first dam designed specifically for hydroelectric power built across Colorado River is completed. 1897 Electron discovered by J. J. Thomson. 1900 Highest voltage transmission line 60 Kilovolt.

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1902 5-Megawatt turbine for Fisk St. Station (Chicago). 1903 First successful gas turbine (France). World s first all turbine station (Chicago). Shawinigan Water & Power installs world s largest generator (5,000 Watts) and world s largest and highest voltage line 136 Km and 50 Kilovolts (to Montreal). Electric vacuum cleaner. Electric washing machine. 1904 John Ambrose Fleming invented the diode rectifiervacuum tube. 1905 in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan the first low head hydro plant with direct connected vertical shaft turbines and generators is opened. 1906 In Ilchester, Maryland, a fully submerged hydroelectric plant is built inside Ambursen Dam. 1907 Lee De Forest invented the electric amplifier. 1909 The first pumped storage plant is opened in Switzerland. 1910 Ernest R. Rutherford measured the distribution of an electric charge within the atom.

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1911 Willis Haviland Carrier disclosed his basic Rational Psychrometric Formulae to the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. The formula still stands today as the basis in all fundamental calculations for the air conditioning industry. R. D. Johnson invents the differential surge tank and Johnson invents hydrostatic penstock valve. 1913 Electric refrigerator is invented. Robert Millikan measured the electric charge on a single electron. 1917 Hydracone draft tube patented by W. M. White. 1920 First U.S. station to only burn pulverized coal is opened. Federal Power Commission (FPC) is established.

1922 Connecticut Valley Power Exchange (CONVEX) starts, pioneering interconnection between utilities. 1928 Construction of Boulder Dam begins. Federal Trade Commission begins investigation of holding companies. 1933 Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) established.

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1935 The Public Utility Holding Company Act is passed. The Federal Power Act is passed. The Securities and Exchange Commission is established. The Bonneville Power Administration is established. The first night baseball game in major leagues is played made possible by electric lighting. 1936 Highest steam temperature reaches 900 degrees Fahrenheit vs. 600 degrees Fahrenheit in early 1920s. 287 Kilovolt line runs 266 miles to Boulder (Hoover) Dam. The Rural Electrification Act is passed. 1947 The transistor is invented . 1953 The first 345 Kilovolt transmission line is laid. The first nuclear power station ordered. 1954 The first high voltage direct current (HVDC) line (20 megawatts/1900 Kilovolts, 96 Km). The Atomic Energy Act of 1954 allows private ownership of nuclear reactors. 1963 The Clean Air Act is passed. 1965 The Northeast Blackout occurs. 1968 The North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC) is formed.

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1969 The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 is passed. 1970 The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is formed. The Water and Environmental Quality Act is passed. The Clean Air Act of 1970 is passed. 1972 The Clean Water Act of 1972 is passed. 1975 Brown s Ferry nuclear accident occurs. 1977 The New York City blackout occurs. The Department of Energy (DOE) is formed. 1978 The Public Utilities Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA) is passed, and ends utility monopoly over generation. The Power Plant and Industrial Fuel Use Act limits the use of natural gas in electric generation (repealed 1987). 1979 The Three Mile Island nuclear accident occurs. 1980 The first U.S. windfarm is opened. The Pacific Northwest Electric Power Planning and Conservation Act establishes regional regulation and planning. 1981 PURPA ruled unconstitutional by Federal judge.
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1982 U.S. Supreme Court upholds legality of PURPA in FERC v. Mississippi (456 US 742). 1984 A nnapolis, N.S., tidal power plant first of its kind in North America (Canada) opened. 1985 Citizens Power, first power marketer, goes into business. 1986 Chernobyl nuclear accident (USSR) occurs. 1990 Clean Air Act amendments mandate additional pollution controls. 1992 The National Energy Policy Act is passed. 1997 ISO New England begins operation (first ISO). New England Electric sells power plants (first major plant divestiture). 1998 California opens market and ISO. Scottish Power (UK) to buy Pacificorp, first foreign takeover of US utility. National (UK) Grid then announces purchase of New England Electric System. 1999 Electricity marketed on Internet. FERC issues Order 2000, promoting regional transmission

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