Light Bulb

Light Bulb Timeline

1802 Humphry Davy Creates the First Incandescent Light
The Davy lamp is a safety lamp with a wick and oil vessel burning originally a heavy vegetable oil, devised in 1815 by Sir Humphry Davy. It was created for use in coal mines, allowing dee...
1809 Humphry Davy Creates the First Arc Lamp
The concept was first demonstrated by Sir Humphry Davy in the early 19th century (1802, 1805, 1807 and 1809 are all mentioned), using charcoal sticks and a 2000-cell battery to create an ...
1835 James Bowman Lindsay Demonstrates a Constant Electric Light
James Bowman Lindsay was born in Cotton of West Hills, Carmyllie near Arbroath in Angus, Scotland, son of John Lindsay, farm worker, and Elizabeth Bowman. Educated at St. Andrews Universi...
1840 Warren de la Rue Creates First Light Bulb
Warren De la Rue (18 January 1815 – 19 April 1889) was a British astronomer and chemist, most famous for his pioneering work in astronomical photography. He was the Son of Thomas De la...
1841 Frederick de Moleyns Patents First Incandescent Light bulb
In 1841, Frederick de Moleyns of England was granted the first patent for an incandescent lamp, with a design using platinum wires contained within a vacuum bulb.
1845 John W. Starr Patents Incandescent Light bulb with Carbon Filaments
In 1845, American John W. Starr acquired a patent for his incandescent light bulb involving the use of carbon filaments. He died shortly after obtaining the patent. Aside from the informa...
1850 Joseph Swan Begins Work on Light Bulb
Swan was born in 1828 at Pallion Hall in Bishopwearmouth (now part of Sunderland), and he served an apprenticeship with a pharmacist there. He later became a partner in Mawson's, a firm o...
1851 Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin Publicly Demonstrates Light Bulbs at Estate
In 1851, Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin publicly demonstrated incandescent light bulbs on his estate in Blois, France. His light bulbs are on permanent display in the museum of the Chateau of ...
1860 Swan Patents Partial Vacuum, Carbon Filament Incandescent Lamp
In 1850 he began working on a light bulb using carbonized paper filaments in an evacuated glass bulb. By 1860 he was able to demonstrate a working device, and obtained a British patent co...
1872 A. N. Lodygin Patents an Incandescent Light Bulb with Tungsten Filaments
In 1872 A. N. Lodygin invented an incandescent light bulb. In 1874 he obtained a patent for his invention.
1874 Henry Woodward and Matthew Evans Patent Lamps
In North America, parallel developments were taking place. On July 24, 1874 a Canadian patent was filed by a Toronto medical electrician named Henry Woodward and a colleague Mathew Evans....
1878 Dec 18 Joseph Swan Demonstrates Lamp with Carbon Rod
With the help of Charles Stearn, an expert on vacuum pumps, in 1878 Swan developed a method of processing that avoided the early bulb blackening. This received a British Patent No 8 in 18...
1879 Woodward and Evans Sell Light Patent to Edison
In North America, parallel developments were taking place. On July 24, 1874 a Canadian patent was filed by a Toronto medical electrician named Henry Woodward and a colleague Mathew Evans....
1879 Nov 4 Edison Improves Carbon Filament Lamp
Thomas Edison began serious research into developing a practical incandescent lamp in 1878. Edison filed his first patent application for "Improvement In Electric Lights" on October 14, 1...
1880 Edison Patents DC Electricity Distribution
Edison patented a system for electricity distribution in 1880, which was essential to capitalize on the invention of the electric lamp.
1880 Dec 17 Edison Founds the Edison Illuminating Company
The Edison Illuminating Company was established by Thomas Edison on December 17, 1880, to construct electrical generating stations, initially in New York City. The company was the prototy...
1881 Swan Founds Swan Electric Light Company
Swan received a British patent for his device in 1878, about a year before Thomas Edison. Swan had reported success to the Newcastle Chemical Society and at a lecture at Sunderland Techni...
1883 Edison & Swan United Electric Light Company is Established
In Britain, the Edison and Swan companies merged into the Edison and Swan United Electric Company (later known as Ediswan, which was ultimately incorporated into Thorn Lighting Ltd). Edis...
1892 General Electric is Established
By 1890, Thomas Edison had brought together several of his business interests under one corporation to form Edison General Electric. At about the same time, Thomson-Houston Company, under...