Steel is a material produced by alloying iron with carbon. The production of steel dates back to ancient times, but determining the exact time and place when it was first produced is difficult. People may have started producing steel-like materials thousands of years ago by melting and processing iron ore.
However, modern steel production and the development of the steel industry can be traced back to the mid-19th century. The Bessemer process, developed by Sir Henry Bessemer in 1856, significantly accelerated and cheapened steel production. As a result, the steel industry experienced substantial growth from the mid-19th century onwards, and steel became widely used in industrial and construction materials.
Therefore, the known history of steel production dates back to the mid-19th century, while there is archaeological evidence suggesting that steel-like materials were produced much earlier in history.