CHARLES F. KETTERING TIMELINE
29th Aug 1876
Charles F. Kettering was born in Loudonville, Ohio, U.S.A as the fourth son of Jacob Kettering and Martha Hunter Kettering.
1904
In 1904, immediately after graduation he was employed at the research laboratory at the National Cash Register. During his five year tenure, he obtained 23 patents for the company.
1905
In 1905, he married Olive Williams. The couple had one child together.
1907
In 1907, he was advised by his colleague, Edward A. Deeds to work on automobile improvements, stressing on the market for the same. They worked with other engineers on the project and were soon known as, ‘Barn Gang'.
1909
In 1909, he resigned from his job at the National Cash Register and continued to work full-time on automobile improvements and developments. The ‘Barn Gang' registered themselves as Dayton Engineering Laboratories Company, or Delco.
1910
The Delco ignition system, which he invented, was one of the first electric starters. This is also referred to as the Kettering ignition system, first sold in 1910.
1911 To 1912
In 1911, he invented and filed a patent for the world’s first electric starter. The following year, the models for the product were approved and installed by The General Motors Company, Cadillac, for production.
1914
In 1914, along with Colonel Edward A. Deeds he co-founded the Engineers Club of Dayton, which was later listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
1915
In 1915, he was working on an invention called the Delco-Light, which provided electric illumination to rural residents. This was one of his most widely known inventions.
1918
In 1918, he invented the aerial torpedo, also known as the Kettering Bug. This was regarded as one of the first aerial missiles, which laid the stepping stone for the first guided missiles.
1920
In 1920, he was appointed as the vice president of General Motors Research Corporation, a position he continued to serve for the next 27 years. Over the next few years he worked on air-cooled engines for cars and trucks.
1927
In 1927, he established the Kettering Foundation, a research foundation which encourages the process of scientific research and invention. It provides opportunities for research fellows.
1936
In 1936, he received the Franklin Medal.
1945
By 1945, his inventions earned him a lot of wealth. After two years, he retired from General Motors. However, he continued to serve as a research adviser and director in Dayton.
25th Nov 1958
He died at the age of 82 in Dayton, Ohio. He was laid to rest at the Woodland Cemetery, Dayton.
1998
In 1998, in his honour the GMI Engineering and Management Institute was renamed Kettering University.