Celebrating our history

We’re one of the world’s oldest professional institutions and have a global community of incredible volunteers, members and partners spanning all disciplines of engineering and technology.

Engineers throughout the ages have shaped the way we live today, from innovators and forward-thinkers to influencers you wouldn’t typically think of. Our profession is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge, and we’re proud to play a pivotal role in uniting forces from across the industry to engineer a better world, together.

Find out more about our history

Want to learn more?

Check out our family tree, explore our expansive archive collection, and dive into the story behind our iconic global headquarters – IET London: Savoy Place.

Go to https://www.theiet.org/about/a-brief-history/

Making a Difference for 150 Years Souvenir Brochure

This year we published a Souvenir Brochure to celebrate how the IET has continued to inspire, inform and influence since 1871. Learn about our rich history and the exciting and innovative achievements in the world of engineering over the past 150 years.

Go to Making a difference for 150 years - the IET story

IET community histories

We've asked our Communities to share their histories with us, and they didn’t disappoint!

Travel with us from Mersey and West Cheshire in the UK all the way to Australia - visiting plenty of places along the way - and learn more about how our global networks came to be, and what they’ve achieved since they were founded.

Go to IET Community Histories

TPN History timelines

The History Network has published selected timelines on the history of computing, electronics, power and telecommunications since 1871. These are selected landmarks in the history of these technologies, and include references to further reading and online resources if you want to discover more.

Go to TPN History Timelines

Engineering landmarks

Expanding on a map of key engineering sites in London produced in time for the 2012 Olympics, E&T is uncovering more landmark locations – the most important ones for breakthroughs and the people there, and perhaps some secret ones too!

Articles released every month throughout the anniversary year, starting with CERN.

Go to https://uploads.knightlab.com/storymapjs/5532cd1cf9422bd87f6c11181eaa4368/iet-150-storymap/index.html

150 Years of Making a Difference exhibition

At our global HQ, IET London: Savoy Place, we’ve installed an exciting exhibition on the spectacular innovations and individuals who have shaped our industry. It’s also an immersive look at the organisations which make us the IET you know today.

We hope you can check it out in person soon, but until then, get a taste of what the exhibition is all about from the inspirational video below.

Go to Learn more

Learn more

Research that changed the world

A commemorative publication of key papers published by the IET from the last 150 years, spanning the breadth and depth of engineering and technology.

These papers have changed the course of their specialism or impacted society through new inventions.

Go to Impactful papers: Research that changed the world