When was the electrostatic machine invented?
Franklin's electrostatic machine
1663
Franklin was not the first to build an electrostatic generator. European scientists developed machines to generate static electricity decades earlier. In 1663, Otto von Guericke generated static electricity with a device that used a sphere of sulfur.[1] Francis Hauksbee developed a more advanced electrostatic generator around 1704 using a glass bulb that had a vacuum. He later replaced the globe with a glass tube of about 2.5 feet (0.76m) emptied of air.[1] The glass tube was a less effective static generator than the globe, but it became more popular because it was easier to use.[2]