Any history of electricity is a history of humans discovering and harnessing an essential force in nature–electromagnetism.
Lightning is hard to ignore. It is an awe inspiring display of electricity almost universally manifested across the earth. It is a common experience to almost every human who has ever lived. Pre-historic depictions of it testify to how lightning has asserted itself into human consciousness for eons.
Magnetism is not so obvious. The first evidence of human interaction with magnetic fields goes back about 2200 years. A precursor to the magnetic compass was utilized by Chinese fortune tellers as early as 200 BC.
Let's take a brief stroll through the main gallery of electromagnetic hotshots...
