History of the Light Bulb

 

1803 — 1809 : Incandescent- First Arc Lamp Is Created

Photo courtesy of Matty Greene, Energy Department

Humphry Davy demonstrated the first incandescent light to the Royal Institute in Great Britain, using a bank of batteries and two charcoal rods. Arc lamps provided many cities with their first electric streetlights.

1835 :Incandescent

First Constant Electric Light Is Demonstrated

James Bowman Lindsay demonstrated a constant electric light at a public meeting in Scotland. Some have credited him with being the inventor of the incandescent light bulb. 

1850 — 1859 :Fluorescent - Lightning in a Tube

In the 19th century, two Germans discovered that they could produce light by removing almost all of the air from a long glass tube and passing an electrical current through it. Called Geissler tubes, they became the basis of many lighting technologies including fluorescent lights. Pictured here are color drawings of early Geissler tubes.

1877 — 1885: Incandescent

Competition for the Incandescent Light Bulb Heats Up

Inventors all across the world -- including William Sawyer and Albon Man in the U.S. and Joseph Swan in England -- worked on creating an electric incandescent lamp. Pictured here are some early incandescent bulbs.

1878: Incandescent

Edison Begins Working on Incadescent Lights

Drawing courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

In 1878, Edison and his researchers at Menlo Park turned their attention to incandescent lamps. They focused on improving the filament -- first testing carbon, then platinum, before finally returning to a carbon filament. Pictured here is Edison's 1880 patent for the incandescent bulb.

1882: Incandescent - Developing a Whole Lighting System

Edison focused on the entire lighting system, showing that it was possible to distribute electricity from a centrally located generator with the Holborn Viaduct in London and developing the first commercial power utility in lower Manhattan. 

1901:Fluorescent - Precursor to Fluorescent Lights

Drawing courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Peter Cooper Hewitt created a blue-green light by passing an electric current through mercury vapor. The lights had few suitable uses because of the color but were one of the precursors to fluorescent lights. 

1904: Incandescent

Out with the Carbon Filament and in with the Tungsten

Image courtesy of the National Museum of American History

In 1904, incandescent lamps with tungsten filaments appear on the European market. These bulbs lasted longer, were brighter and more efficient than lamps with carbon filaments.

1908: Incandescent

Edison Screw Becomes Universal

Photo courtesy of of ©iStockphoto/TokenPhoto.

Part of Edison's contribution to the light bulb was the socket he developed, which today is called the Edison Screw. By 1908, it was the most commonly used light bulb socket used, and today, it is used for almost all residential lighting applications.

1913: Incandescent

Doubling the Efficiency of Incandescents

Irving Langmuir discovered that filling a light bulb with inert gas like nitrogen instead of vacuuming out the air doubled the light bulb's efficiency.

1926 — 1934Fluorescent

Neon Tubes + Phosphers = Fluorescents

By the late 1920s and early 1930s, European researchers were doing experiments with neon tubes coated with phosphors. Word of these experiments helped spark fluorescent lamp research in the U.S.

1939: Fluorescent

Fluorescent Lamps on Display

Photo courtesy of Smithsonian Libraries

In 1939, GE and Westinghouse introduced fluorescent lamps at both the New York World's Fair and the Golden Gate Exposition in San Francisco.

1951 : Fluorescent

Fluorescent Overtake Incandescent

By 1951, more light in the U.S. was being produced by linear fluorescent lamps than incandescent -- a change that was led by the need for efficient lighting during World War II. 

1962: LED

First Light Emitting Diode (LED) Is Invented

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

While working for General Electric, Nick Holonyak, Jr., invented the first visible-spectrum LED in the form of red diodes. Pale yellow and green diodes were invented next.

1973: Fluorescent

Energy is No Longer Cheap

The 1973 oil crisis marked a turning point in U.S. energy consumption because energy was no longer cheap. Researchers rose to the challenge and began developing fluorescent bulbs for residential use.

1976Fluorescent

Fluorescent Bulbs Go Spiral

In 1976, Edward Hammer at General Electric figured out how to bend the fluorescent tube into a spiral shape, creating the first compact fluorescent light (CFL).

1978: LED

Photo courtesy of David R. Tribble, Wikimedia Commons.

LEDs Appear in Consumer Products

As researchers improved red diodes and their manufacturing, companies began incorporating them into consumer products like calculator displays and indicator lights.

1985: Fluorescent

First CFL Hits the Market

Photo courtesy of PiccoloNamek, Wikimedia Commons.

Early CFLs hit the market in the mid-1980s and ranged from $25-$35 a bulb.

1994: LED

First Blue, Then White LEDs

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

The invention of the blue diode in the 1990s quickly led to the discovery of white LEDs. Shortly thereafter, researchers demonstrated white light using red, green and blue LEDs.

2002 — 2008: LED

Photo courtesy of the Energy Department

First Residential LED Bulb Hits the Market

By 2008, there were just a few LED replacement bulbs on the market, and most were 25-40 watt equivalents.

2011: LED

Photo courtesy of Philips Lighting.

Philips Wins L Prize 60-Watt Replacement Category

After a rigorous review process, the Energy Department announces that Philips' entry in the 60-watt replacement category has met all performance requirements and declares it the winner of that category.


Source: Department of Energy, USA.