Evidence supporting the transverse wave nature of light includes the experiment with two polaroids, where light intensity changes as one is rotated relative to the other. Additionally, manipulating Maxwell's equations leads to a wave equation that shows electric and magnetic fields are perpendicular to each other and to the direction of propagation. Historical evidence includes birefringence observed in natural crystals like calcite, which predates the invention of polaroids and Maxwell's equations. The first polarizing devices were made from these natural crystals, known as Nichol prisms, with reports of this phenomenon dating back to the 17th century. These points collectively reinforce the understanding of light as a transverse wave.
