Light bulb facts and facts about light bulbs.
22 facts on this shelf
The first central power plant Pearl Street Station in lower Manhattan, built by Thomas Edison began generating electricity on September 4, 1882. Pearl Street had one generator and it produced power for 800 electric light bulbs. Within 14 months, Pearl Street Station had 508 subscribers and 12,732 bulbs.
Since the first power plant (thomas edison's power plant) lit up 800 light bulbs in 1882, the electric utility industry has grown to generate over 2.5 million gigawatt-hours annually, the equivalent of lighting 4.8 billion 60-watt light bulbs for a year
Thomas Edison didn't invent the first light bulb, but he developed the first practical, long-lasting incandescent bulb in 1879 after earlier inventors like Humphry Davy and Joseph Swan.
Edison tested thousands of materials for his light bulb filament and eventually used carbonized bamboo, which could burn for more than 1,200 hours.
African American inventor Lewis Latimer patented an improved method for making carbon filaments in 1881, helping make light bulbs cheaper and longer-lasting.
Thomas Edison and British inventor Joseph Swan merged their light bulb businesses in Britain to form a company called Ediswan.
Thomas Edison opened the Pearl Street Station in New York City in 1882, the first commercial central power plant in the US.
The Centennial Light, a bulb in a fire station in Livermore, California, has been burning almost continuously since 1901.
In 1924, major light bulb makers formed the Phoebus cartel and agreed to limit bulb lifespans to about 1,000 hours to boost sales.
Tungsten filaments replaced carbon in light bulbs in the early 1900s, and GE scientist William Coolidge made them practical in 1910.
An incandescent light bulb turns about 90% of its energy into heat instead of light.
Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano, and Shuji Nakamura won the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics for inventing the blue LED, which made bright, energy-saving white LED lighting possible.
Fluorescent light bulbs contain small amounts of mercury.
The watt, the standard unit of power used on every light bulb and appliance, is named after steam engine pioneer James Watt.
English inventor Joseph Swan demonstrated a working incandescent bulb around the same time as Edison, and the two later joined forces in a company called Ediswan.
Edison's team found that a filament made of carbonized bamboo could burn for over 1,200 hours.
Edison's lab tested thousands of materials as possible light bulb filaments, including plant fibers from around the world.
William Coolidge at General Electric found a way to make tungsten into thin wire in 1910, and tungsten filaments became the standard for incandescent bulbs.
The Centennial Light, a bulb in a firehouse in Livermore, California, has been burning almost continuously since 1901.
Edison's Pearl Street Station opened in Manhattan in 1882 as the first commercial central power plant in the US, lighting buildings in the financial district.
Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano, and Shuji Nakamura won the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics for the blue LED, which made bright white LED lighting possible.
Household LED bulbs use at least 75% less energy than incandescent bulbs and last up to 25 times longer.