Piezoelectric phenomena were discovered by the Curie brothers (Pierre and Jacque Curie) in 1880
while conducting an experiment on pyroelectricity
(10).
This does not mean no one had paid attention to this phenomenon before the discovery.
A paper authored by Cady says that Hauy and Becquerel conducted an experiment
and found that some crystals generate electricity when pressure is applied to them as predicted by Coulomb
(11).
Becquerel actually published a paper on piezoelectricity in 1823
(12).
[Reference]
(10) Curie,J.et P.,1880, Bull.soc.min. de France, T.3.pp.90-93 ; Comp.Rend.,T.91,pp294-295
(11) Cady,W.G.,1946,Piezoelectricity,Dover Pub.Inc.,p.177
(12) Becquerel,A.C.,1823,Ann..Chim.Phy.T.22
[Please note]
There is sparse information about research history of the pyroelectricity/piezoelectricity effects caused by tourmaline.
We refer to and quote from this literature as the events are presented in chronological order.
The history of Pyro-Piezoelectricity in the Eighteenth and the Nineteenth Century (Japanese version only)
·Author: KIYOSHI YODA(JUKI Corp.)
·Journal Title: Papers of Technical Meeting on History of Electrical Engineering, IEE Japan(2000)
·VOL.HEE-00;NO.1-7;PAGE.1-7(2000)