Our lives would be unthinkable today without the aid of electric appliances backings us up. We have become so dependent on them that we would be at a total loss without their help. How did it come about that way?

The Early Beginnings- Humans have been aware of electricity since the ancient times, but there is no   clear understanding of the way that it really works. There was also no idea on how it could be harnessed. It was Benjamin Franklin who was one of the first scientists to have investigated electricity with some success. He studied the nature of lightning and electricity with some of his famous experiments. He was also able to build an electric battery.

The findings of Franklin were the basis upon which some of the great scientists of the 19^th century built their findings. One of the greatest inventors of all time Thomas Alva Edison created the first practical electric light bulb that can be used at homes for lighting. His next effort was in building power plants that could supply enough electricity to a whole city. The first city where he built such a plant was New York, but it did not take long before other cities in America and the rest of the world followed.

Once there was a stable supply of electricity that can be used by everyone, the inventors came up with ideas on how to use it for making life easier. The early part of the 20^th century marked breakthroughs when it comes to inventions.  That was the time when the air conditioner, the vacuum cleaner and washing machine were invented. During that time the new electrical inventions were mostly considered to be novelty items. As time went on however people realized that those devices could really be used in order to make life a lot easier.

The Next Wave- The telegraph has been an earlier invention, but with the development of wireless telegraph new avenues were opened up. The radio was soon developed and it was not only a major help  to communication, but it was also a boost when it comes to entertainment. The development of the radio also led to the development of television a few years later.

Electric Appliances Today- Each year there are some new inventions being rolled out by companies, but most of the basic ones that were invented at the early years of the 20^th century are still around, though they are much improved now.