History of the Department
Over 140 years of teaching, research and innovation
The department has a long and proud history as one of the leading institutions for electrical and electronic engineering. Discover some of the key events, notable people and pioneering research - from the Victorian era to the information age.
Bright sparks
From the first generation to the modern age..
![Finsbury Technical College](https://pxl-imperialacuk.terminalfour.net/prod01/channel_2/media/migration/faculty-of-engineering/1--tojpeg_1426514257315_x4.jpg)
1878
Evening classes in practical electricity first taught at Finsbury Technical College
![](https://pxl-imperialacuk.terminalfour.net/prod01/channel_2/media/migration/faculty-of-engineering/2-1--tojpeg_1426514342695_x4.jpg)
1884
City & Guilds London Institute opened in South Kensington
![Hertha Ayrton](https://pxl-imperialacuk.terminalfour.net/prod01/channel_2/media/migration/faculty-of-engineering/3--tojpeg_1426514390091_x4.jpg)
1899
Hertha Ayrton becomes the first woman to present a paper at the Institution of Electrical Engineers
![Imperial College founded](https://pxl-imperialacuk.terminalfour.net/prod01/channel_2/media/migration/faculty-of-engineering/4--tojpeg_1426514454037_x4.jpg)
1907
Imperial College founded
![WW1](https://pxl-imperialacuk.terminalfour.net/prod01/channel_2/media/migration/faculty-of-engineering/5--tojpeg_1426514497262_x4.jpg)
1914-18
JT Irwin's parabolic reflector and hot wire microphone detects enemy aircraft from up to 100 miles
![Alan Blumlein](https://pxl-imperialacuk.terminalfour.net/prod01/channel_2/media/migration/faculty-of-engineering/6--tojpeg_1426514536443_x4.jpg)
1931
Alan Blumlein invents stereo sound, one of the most important advances in C20th audio engineering
The next wave
From human communication to human-computer interaction
![pulse code modulation](https://pxl-imperialacuk.terminalfour.net/prod01/channel_2/media/migration/faculty-of-engineering/wave--tojpeg_1427647264972_x4.jpg)
1937
Pulse code modulation, the digital representation of analogue sound, is invented by Alec Reeves
![cherry](https://pxl-imperialacuk.terminalfour.net/prod01/channel_2/media/migration/faculty-of-engineering/8--tojpeg_1427647335360_x4.jpg)
1957
Colin Cherry's 'On Human Communicaion' influential in telecommunication and cognitive science
![laithwaite](https://pxl-imperialacuk.terminalfour.net/prod01/channel_2/media/migration/faculty-of-engineering/9--tojpeg_1427647396142_x4.jpg)
1967
Eric Laithwaite, pioneer of magnetic levitation - tv lectures insipre a new generation of young engineers
![gabor](https://pxl-imperialacuk.terminalfour.net/prod01/channel_2/media/migration/faculty-of-engineering/10--tojpeg_1427647472593_x4.jpg)
1971
Denis Gabor, inventor of holography, is awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics
![dainton](https://pxl-imperialacuk.terminalfour.net/prod01/channel_2/media/migration/faculty-of-engineering/11--tojpeg_1427647599458_x4.jpg)
1978
New 'Management' degree features business and social studies to help train future engineering leaders
![spence](https://pxl-imperialacuk.terminalfour.net/prod01/channel_2/media/migration/faculty-of-engineering/Screenshot_2015-03-29-15-36-18--tojpeg_1427647727352_x4.jpg)
1980
Bob Spence's 'Bifocal Display' - information visualisation techniques are now a familiar concept in modern computer interfaces.
Future innovation
Engineering for a changing world, and other planets..
![Tony Constantinides](https://pxl-imperialacuk.terminalfour.net/prod01/channel_2/media/images/landscape-3000X2000/Tony-Constantinides-T4-3000X2000.jpg)
1985
Tony Constantinides awarded Palmes Academiques for pioneering work in digital signal filters
![Igor Aleksander](https://pxl-imperialacuk.terminalfour.net/prod01/channel_2/media/images/landscape-3000X2000/Igor-history-T4-3000X2000.jpg)
1992
Igor Aleksander, designer of neural pattern recognition system WISARD, demonstrates Magnus — the thinking machine
![Chris Toumazou](https://pxl-imperialacuk.terminalfour.net/prod01/channel_2/media/images/landscape-3000X2000/EEE-toumazou-history-T4-3000X2000.jpg)
2001
Testing begins on implantable prosthetic cochlear, an analogue chip developed by Chris Toumazou
![Professor Maria Petrou](https://pxl-imperialacuk.terminalfour.net/prod01/channel_2/media/images/landscape-3000X2000/Petrou-T4-3000X2000.jpg)
2005
Maria Petrou, developer of novel image recognition techniques and prolific scientific author becomes EEE's first woman Professor.
![Phoenix Lander Artist's impression (NASA)](https://pxl-imperialacuk.terminalfour.net/prod01/channel_2/media/images/landscape-3000X2000/Phoemix-low-res-T4-3000X2000.jpg)
2008
NASA Phoenix misson to Mars. Tom Pike leads the building of a microscope to detect the presence of ice.
![](https://pxl-imperialacuk.terminalfour.net/prod01/channel_2/media/images/landscape-3000X2000/EEE-smart-energy-lab-T4-3000X2000.jpg)
2009
Smart Energy Lab opens. £1M facility investigating smart control for future global energy needs