2003: The electronic cigarette is first developed in Beijing, China by Hon Lik, a 52 year old pharmacist, inventor and smoker. He reportedly invents the device after his father, also a heavy smoker, dies of lung cancer. The company Lik worked for, Golden Dragon Holdings, developed the device and changed their name to Ruyan, which means "like smoke."
Right but wrong sorta.
The first known person on record to have the idea for an electronic smoking device was Herbert A. Gilbert. In 1963, he filed a patent for this type of product. Hon Lik actually developed the first one.