* Early Ideas and Attempts: People experimented with the concept of using explosions to power engines as early as the 17th century.
* Key Milestones: Several inventors contributed to the development of the internal combustion engine. Some key milestones include:
* 1678: Christiaan Huygens built a gunpowder-powered engine.
* 1807: François Isaac de Rivaz built a hydrogen-powered engine.
* 1860: Étienne Lenoir patented a practical, single-cylinder engine that could run on illuminating gas.
* 1876: Nikolaus Otto created a four-stroke engine that was much more efficient than earlier designs.
* 1886: Karl Benz patented the first practical gasoline-powered automobile with an internal combustion engine.
Therefore, it's more accurate to say that the internal combustion engine evolved over a long period, with significant contributions from various inventors.
If you have to pick a specific date, 1860 with Lenoir's engine is a common starting point, as it marked the first commercially successful and practical internal combustion engine.
