Otto von Guericke was a German scientist, and inventor who lived between 1602 and 1686.
He is credited to have made many inventions at a time when there were not many resources to refer to. One of it is the electrostatic generator, known to be the first one ever made.
It was described as a huge sulphur ball, mounted on a pole inside a glass globe. With the help of a hand crank, the ball was rotated. As a result, the ball rubbed against a pad, generating sparks. This was static electricity, a phenomenon which they could not identify then. But the device became famous, and was used for later experiments with electricity.
In 1672, Guericke found out that electricity produced through his earlier experiment could cause the surface of the sulphur ball to glow. The concept of electrostatic repulsion was demonstrated for the first time in history through Guericke’s book.