Alter, David

1807 - David Alter was born in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania on the 3rd of December.

1836 - He invented the electric telegraph.

1837 - He settled in Freeport, Pennsylvania. He made a small electric motor.

1840 - He invented electric buggy, the forerunner of the automobile.

1841-1842 - He obtained medical schooling at the Cincinnati Medical School.

1845 - He invented and patented a method of manufacturing Bromine from salt wells that was highly useful in the iron industry and was put on display in the World's fair.

1853 - He developed the technique of Spectral Analysis.

1855 - He invented an expansion of spectrum analysis to include the optical properties of gas.

1858 - He invented a patented method to extract oil from coal and shale.

1881 - He died on the 18th of September.