When was biodiesel discovered?

Biodiesel was first discovered in the mid-19th century, with early formulations created by French chemist Pierre Eugène Marcellin Berthelot in 1853. However, it was not until Rudolf Diesel demonstrated a diesel engine running on peanut oil in 1897 that biodiesel gained significant attention. The modern production of biodiesel, using transesterification processes, became more widespread in the late 20th century, particularly during the 1970s energy crisis.