Light Bulb timeline

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... Read more

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... Read more

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... Read more

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... Read more

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... Read more

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... Read more

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... Read more

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... Read more

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... Read more

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. Read more

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... Read more

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.... Read more

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... Read more

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... Read more

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. Read more

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... Read more

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... Read more

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... Read more

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... Read more