This document provides a timeline of key events in the history of solar energy, starting from the 7th century BC and continuing through to 2012. Some notable developments include the first use of solar energy in the 7th century BC, the discovery of the photovoltaic effect in 1839, advances in solar technology in the late 19th century, the use of solar panels to power satellites in the 1950s, and growing commercialization and adoption of solar energy from the 1970s onward.