The history of ethylene
According to the Oxford English Dictionary entry on &quot;ethylene&quot;, the first English usage was in 1849 in the Chemical Gazette (alternate name Journal of Practical Chemistry), published in London. The specific citation is Vol. 7 p. 116 (Mar. 15, 1849). The sentence in which it is used is in an article by &quot;A. Wurtz&quot; titled &quot;On a Series of Organic Alkalies Homologous with Ammonia.&quot;, and the relevant sentence reads &quot;By adding to ammonia the elements of ethylene, $\ce{C4H4}$, ethylic ammonia, $\ce{C4H7N}$, is obtained.&quot;
The full text of the journal is available digitally via Google Books.