when did fossil fuels start
Fossil fuels have been an essential source of energy since humans first discovered coal. From Neolithic times to the eighteenth century, humans made only minor improvements to coal and wood-burning technology. The steam engines of the 1700s were the first machines to use fossil fuels to power mechanical processes. By 1802, cities in Europe were using natural gas to operate street lamps and to create electricity. The first company in England to sell coal-gas for lighting was founded in 1806. In 1816, a coal-gas electric company was established in Baltimore Maryland. In 1823, inventor Samuel Brown created an internal combustion engine and demonstrated the potential of fossil fuels to power vehicles.