William Gilbert (England) first coined the term electricity from elektron, the Greek word for amber. Gilbert wrote about the electrification of many substances. He was also the first person to use the terms electric force, magnetic pole, and electric attraction.

Otto von Guericke (Germany) described and demonstrated a vacuum, and then invented a machine that produced static electricity.

Robert Boyle (Ireland) discovered that electric force could be transmitted through a vacuum and observed attraction and repulsion.

Georg Von Kleist (Germany) developed the first electric capacitator, a device for storing electricity.

Pieter van Musschenbroek (the Netherlands) independently developed an electric capacitator that would be called the Leyden jar after the University of Leyden where he worked.

Ben Franklin (United States) tied a key to a kite string during a thunderstorm, and proved that static electricity and lightning were the same thing.