1794  – Robert Street builds piston engine which runs on turpentine fumes.
1801 – Phillipe Lebou builds spark-ignition engine which runs on coal gas and air.
1868 – Beau de Rochas writes detailed pamphlet on theory of gasoline piston engine.
1876 – Dr. N.A. Otto develops and runs first successful gasoline engine.
1885 – Priestman runs first successful “heavy oil” engine.
1885-1889 – Ackroyd-Stuart develops compression-ignition engine with “modern” injection.
1890 – James Hargraves makes first “inward-opening” injector.
1892 – Rudolph Diesel “blows-up” engine attempting to run it on coal dust and compressed air.
1893 – Rudolph Diesel successfully runs “air-blast” engine on heavy oil.
1895 – Diesel obtains U.S. patents for compression-ignition engine.
1900 – Diesel engines in wide practical use in Europe
1909 – Prosper L’Orange designs first pre-combustion chamber for diesel engines.
1912  – Diesel patents expire: U.S. diesel industry begins.
1913 – Vickers Co. develops first multi-plunger injection pump.
1914 – Francois Feyens develops first “distributor” injection pump.
1916-1920 – U.S. diesel industry “comes into its own” with pipeline pumping stations.
1922 – Peugeot tries first diesel engine in a passenger car.
1923 – Marine use of diesels begins.
1924 – First diesel-powered ocean liner.
1925 – First  diesel-powered bus.
1927 – Robert Bosch Co. begins making injection pumps.
1929 – First diesel-powered truck.
1934 – First diesel-powered railroad locomotive.
1936 – Mercedes-Benz develops first production diesel passenger car.
1977 – Volkswagen produces first light-weight, high-speed diesel car for U.S.
1979 – Audi introduces an economical 5 cylinder diesel.