Txhawm rau taug qab lub hauv paus chiv keeb ntawm cov kua siv lead ua kua, peb yuav tsum xub pib nrog lub hnub yug ntawm "kua siv lead ua kua". Nyob rau hauv 1888, ib tug Austrian botanist, Friedrich Reinitzer, nrhiav tau ib yam khoom tshwj xeeb. Nws tau rho tawm ib qho chaw hu ua helical benzoate los ntawm cov nroj tsuag. Thaum ua qhov kev sim ua cua sov rau qhov sib xyaw no, nws pom tsis tau tias qhov sib xyaw no muaj ob lub ntsiab lus melting ntawm qhov kub sib txawv. Nws lub xeev yog nyob nruab nrab ntawm cov kua thiab cov khoom uas peb feem ntau paub txog, me ntsis zoo li cov colloidal tov ntawm xab npum dej, tab sis nws muaj cov khoom ntawm cov kua thiab siv lead ua nyob rau hauv ib tug tej yam kub thiab txias. Vim nws lub xeev tshwj xeeb, nws tau tom qab lub npe hu ua "Liquid Crystal", uas txhais tau hais tias kua crystalline khoom. Txawm li cas los xij, txawm tias cov kua siv lead ua kua tau tshawb pom thaum ntxov li xyoo 1888, nws tsis yog txog 80 xyoo tom qab ntawd nws tau siv tiag tiag hauv lub neej niaj hnub.
Xyoo 1968, cov kws tshaj lij ntawm Sarnoff Research thiab Development Center ntawm RCA (tus neeg tsim khoom ntawm xov tooj cua thiab TV) hauv Tebchaws Meskas tau tshawb pom tias cov kua siv lead ua kua molecules yuav cuam tshuam los ntawm qhov hluav taws xob, hloov qhov kev npaj ntawm lawv cov molecules, thiab deflect qhov teeb meem teeb meem. Siv lub hauv paus ntsiab lus no, RCA tau tsim lub ntiaj teb thawj lub vijtsam siv cov kua siv lead ua kua. Txij thaum ntawd los, kua siv lead ua kua siv tshuab tau siv dav hauv cov khoom siv hluav taws xob, suav nrog lub tshuab xam zauv, hluav taws xob saib, xov tooj ntawm tes, cov cuab yeej siv hauv tsev kho mob (vim kev ntsuas hluav taws xob ntsuas) lossis cov ntxaij vab tshaus ntawm cov koob yees duab digital. Interestingly, qhov kev tshawb pom ntawm cov kua muaju yog ua ntej lub tshuab nqus tsev raj lossis cathode ray raj, tab sis tsis muaj coob tus neeg hauv ntiaj teb paub txog qhov tshwm sim no. Nws tsis yog txog xyoo 1962 uas thawj phau ntawv luam tawm los ntawm Mr. Joe Castellano, kws tshuaj tshuaj los ntawm RCA pawg tshawb fawb, tau piav qhia txog nws. Zoo ib yam li cov duab raj, txawm hais tias ob lub thev naus laus zis no tau tsim los ntawm RCA hauv Tebchaws Meskas, lawv tau tsim los ntawm Sony thiab Sharp hauv Nyij Pooj.