The history on the development of CNFs has dated more than 150 years, and the progress in the field is still being made. In 1860, Swan produced carbon fibers by carbonizing paper filaments for incandescent light bulbs. In 1879, Thomas Edison prepared carbon fibers filaments by carbonizing cotton, and bamboo silvers for the same purpose. The patent of Hughes and Chambers from 1889 invented the first vapor-growth method, and described as one of the first technical records to prepare CNFs for stable electric lighting by pyrolysis of a mixture of CH4, and H2 in iron crucibles. Shindo from Japan is recognized as the first person to use polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fiber as the precursor for the synthesis of CNFs in the early 1970, which is still the fundamental technology used to fabricate commercial PAN-based CNFs. In 1979, Singer and Cherry prepared highly oriented, graphitized carbon fibers that revealed ultrahigh modulus, and thermal conductivity by heating mesophase pitch fibers. The unique properties of CNFs have enabled diverse applications in the following next 50 years, including selective adsorption, polymer reinforcement, electrochemical devices and hydrogen storage.