Not many inventions have changed history and elevated their inventors to the same status as Thomas Edison – but the electric light bulb is definitely on the short list. In honor of the 144th anniversary of the incandescent bulb's first public demonstration, Forefront helped us briefly recount the historic moment.
On December 31, 1879, Edison first presented his electric light bulb to the public in Menlo Park, New Jersey (which, of course, is not the same famous Menlo Park in California, Google's birthplace and headquarters). On that winter's night, American inventor Thomas Edison illuminated the darkness by demonstrating his new invention - the incandescent light bulb.
More than 1,000 people, including journalists and scientists, traveled on a special train to witness Edison's demonstration. As the sun went down, Edison flicked a switch and lit up the streets of the small neighborhood with his new power distribution system and light bulbs. The crowd gasped in amazement at the bright glow of light, which, unlike kerosene lamps and other combustible materials that were common at the time, did not emit smoke or vapor, and was much more stable than a flame of fire.
The way to invent the light bulb took many years of trial and error. Edison tried to use many materials, and in hindsight strange, for the burning filament in the center of the bulb: paper, cork, and even hair. Among the finalists were charred bamboo and cotton fibers. The final design was deemed durable enough to last 1,200 hours – a breakthrough at the time, even if today it seems negligible compared to the 20,000 to 30,000 hours that every modern bulb must provide.
As we know, Edison's invention was of double importance: both the light bulb itself, and the electrical system that powered it. However, unlike his light bulb, which became a standard that lasted over 100 years until it was banned in the LED era, when it came to the electrical system, he lost the battle, after the world adopted Nikola Tesla's AC over Edison's direct current.
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