Who Invented Light Bulb

The invention of the light bulb is credited to Thomas Alva Edison in 1879, who is often referred to as the "Father of the Electric Age". Edison’s version of the light bulb was an improvement on designs of other inventors, specifically Joseph Swan, who also developed a working light bulb.

Swan, who was born in 1828, presented a paper on the efficacy of a light bulb in 1850 at a meeting in Newcastle-on-Tyne. It is unclear as to whether he successfully lit a bulb with a filament at this time but by 1860, Swan had developed a successful filament. However, difficulties producing a commercially viable product prevented the widespread use of his invention.

Edison’s interest in electricity began when he was 12 years old. He developed an interest in telegraphy and by age 21, he had several patents for improvements on the telegraph. In the 1870s, Edison proposed to develop a successful electric light. He dedicated vast resources to the project, engaging scientists and craftspeople to help in the development of an economically and technically viable product.

Finally, Edison was successful in producing a practical incandescent electric light bulb that used a carbonized bamboo filament. He was granted patent number 223,898 on Jan 27, 1880, whose aims were to improve the “construction and arrangement of lamps and the manufacture of the same.”

By developing a viable light bulb, Edison changed the way people lived, worked, and communicated with one another. His invention resulted in the generation of large-scale electric power distribution, which in turn improved the production of electricity in many countries. Over time, numerous improvements have been made to Edison’s initial design, which has had an incredible impact on society. Edison’s invention of the light bulb is now seen as one of the most transformational inventions of the industrial age.