When we say pencil lead, we mean graphite, because that’s what a pencil has inside. In this video, we find out where graphite comes from and how it gets into the middle of a pencil.
All interesting stuff, but now I want to know about the part they left out. Whose idea was it to encase graphite in wood to make a pencil? -via The Kid Should See This
For the missing history of pencil development, Martin Veneroso suggested Brain Pickings and romojoke suggested Wikipedia, both of which are quite interesting.
The modern pencil was invented in 1795 by Nicholas-Jacques Conte, a scientist serving in the army of Napoleon Bonaparte."
Quoted (including the enclosed quotation) from:
https://www.brainpickings.org/2013/06/24/history-of-the-pencil/