who invented the first electric motor

The first device that we would now recognize as an electric motor was demonstrated by Michael Faraday in 1821, when he showed continuous electromagnetic rotation using a current‑carrying conductor moving around a magnet.

However, historians sometimes distinguish between this early experimental motor and the first practical electric motor capable of doing continuous, useful work. In that sense, many sources credit William Sturgeon, who in 1832 built one of the first practical rotary motors based on the electromagnet, paving the way for later designs. Other inventors, including Ányos Jedlik, Moritz von Jacobi, and Thomas Davenport, quickly improved on these ideas and helped transform the electric motor from a lab curiosity into a usable machine.

So, in a quick scoop:

• Faraday (1821) is usually credited with inventing the first electric motor in principle.

• Sturgeon (1832) is often cited for the first practical electric motor design.