Who invented the light bulb?

Thomas Alva Edison, born in Ohio on February 11, 1847, was one of the most well-known inventors of all time. He spent a few of his early years in formal schooling, but he received most of his education at home. Thomas set up a laboratory in the basement of his family's Michigan home and spent most of his time experimenting. Edison's mother, Nancy, knew her son was fond of chemistry and electronics, so she gave him books to read on the subjects. One book explained how to perform chemistry experiments at home; Thomas did every one in the book. A biographer of Edison once noted: "His mother had accomplished that which all truly great teachers do for their pupils, she brought him to the stage of learning things for himself, learning that which most amused and interested him, and she encouraged him to go on in that path. It was the very best thing she could have done for this singular boy." As Edison himself put it: "My mother was the making of me. She understood me; she let me follow my bent." In 1859, the Grand Trunk Railroad was extended to Port Huron, Michigan. Thomas got a job as a newsboy for the day-long trip to Detroit and back. Since there was a five-hour layover in Detroit, Edison asked for permission to move his laboratory to the baggage car of the train so he could continue his experiments there. This worked for a little while, until the train lurched forward and spilled some chemicals, setting the laboratory on fire. While working for the railroad, Thomas saved the...

Why subscribe? • The ultimate action-packed science and technology magazine bursting with exciting information about the universe • Subscribe today and save an extra 5% with checkout code 'LOVE5' • Engaging articles, amazing illustrations & exclusive interviews • Issues delivered straight to your door or device The Menlo Park lab of Thomas Edison, who invented the lightbulb, is shown here after its relocation to the Henry Ford Museum in Greenfield Village, Dearborn, Michigan. The arrow on the vacuum pump (center) marks the site of Edison's recreation of the lighting of the incandescent bulb on Oct. 21, 1929. (Image credit: Hulton Archive/Getty Images) Early research & development The story of the lightbulb begins long before Edison patented the first commercially successful bulb in 1879. In 1800, Italian inventor Alessandro Volta developed the first practical method of generating electricity, the voltaic pile. Made of alternating discs of zinc and copper— interspersed with layers of cardboard soaked in salt water — the pile conducted electricity when a copper wire was connected at either end. Volta's glowing copper wire is officially considered a precursor to the battery, but is also one of the earliest manifestations of incandescent lighting. According to Harold H Schobert (" Energy and Society: An Introduction," CRC Press, 2014) the Voltaic Pile "made it possible for scientists to experiment with electric currents under controlled conditions" and furthered experiments wi...

Discover the inventions credited to the wrong people History is not fixed. Here you’ll find a selection of very well known inventions and their origin stories. Somewhere along the way these stories have been warped, changed, or completely rewritten. Luckily, some historians and researchers have worked hard to uncover the real narrative and made sure the right people are credited and celebrated. An Englishman – not Thomas Edison – created the light bulb Thomas Edison is credited with inventing a whole host of valuable inventions but the real story behind them often reveals a different pattern of events. It was actually British inventor Sir Humphry Davy who was the first to invent the electric light in 1809. Edison also didn’t invent motion picture Once again, Edison manages to be credited with another huge invention but doesn’t deserve the praise. It was actually Louis Le Prince, a French artist, who was the inventor of the early motion picture camera. In Leeds, England in 1888 Prince used a single lens camera to shoot 16 pictures a second without blurring the exposure. While we know some of Prince’s work now, there is a troubling conspiracy surrounding the whole invention and Edison’s claim to fame. In 1890, two years after his achievement, Prince boarded a train bound for Dijon, but disappeared and was never seen again. Years later, during a patent trial for Edison’s motion picture “invention”, Prince’s son was found shot dead in New York. American courts would later dism...

It is a common scientific myth that Thomas Edison invented the lightbulb. After all, he was known for inventing many great devices and perfecting hundreds more. Edison’s companies not only mass-produced electric lights but created the power stations that lit up cities. Science, however, is about facts, not mythology. The fact is that, despite the help he gave to bring electric light to the homes of hundreds of thousands, it wasn’t Thomas Edison who invented the lightbulb after all. Table of Contents • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Who Invented The Lightbulb? The very first light bulb was not invented by Thomas Edison, but by British inventor Humphry Davy in 1806. His devices created an arc of electricity between electrodes, creating a very bright light. While far too dangerous to use at home, they were used in public spaces and commercially. READ MORE: The First Incandescent Light Bulb The incandescent light bulb, using a filament inside a glass bulb, has a complex history. Belgian inventor The First Practical Light Bulb The first commercial light bulb was created by Joseph Swan in 1860. His bulb, which used a carbon filament within an evacuated glass bulb, did not last very long due to his inability to create a proper vacuum. Later experiments had more success. Swan’s home was the first house in the world to be lit by light bulbs, and in 1881 his devices lit the Savoy Theatre in Westminster. In 1874, Canadian electricians Thomas Edison’s light bulb was patented in 1878, thoug...

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Alessandro Volta (1745-1827) Italian physicist. The Voltaic pile (wet battery) is the left object in front of him © Universal History Archive/Getty Images Thanks to the light it emitted in its copper wire, the voltaic pile could be considered one of the earliest forms of incandescent lighting. Humphry Davy in 1802 used the voltaic pile (connected them to charcoal electrodes) to create the ‘electric arc lamp’. Who really invented the light bulb? It’s easy to say that either Joseph Swan or Thomas Edison invented the light bulb, but in reality they developed upon pre-existing work that dates back to the turn of the 19th Century. Alessandro Volta, Humphrey Davy, James Bowman Lindsay, Warren de la Rue and William Staite all played a role. Thomas Edison solved many of the electric lamp’s earliest problems by experimenting with the work done by others before him. He discovered the best mixture of thin carbon filament design and employed the use of better vacuum pump technology to make him the first person to develop a truly commercially-viable light bulb. Toby Saunders is a freelance writer covering entertainment and technology. He is a writer for BBC Science Focus magazine and Radio Times. He has a degree in film studies from Bath Spa University. Toby has written for PCGamesN, Gamepur, GameRevolution, Pocket Tactics, Nintendo Life, Cineworld and The Loadout.

Alessandro Volta (1745-1827) Italian physicist. The Voltaic pile (wet battery) is the left object in front of him © Universal History Archive/Getty Images Thanks to the light it emitted in its copper wire, the voltaic pile could be considered one of the earliest forms of incandescent lighting. Humphry Davy in 1802 used the voltaic pile (connected them to charcoal electrodes) to create the ‘electric arc lamp’. Who really invented the light bulb? It’s easy to say that either Joseph Swan or Thomas Edison invented the light bulb, but in reality they developed upon pre-existing work that dates back to the turn of the 19th Century. Alessandro Volta, Humphrey Davy, James Bowman Lindsay, Warren de la Rue and William Staite all played a role. Thomas Edison solved many of the electric lamp’s earliest problems by experimenting with the work done by others before him. He discovered the best mixture of thin carbon filament design and employed the use of better vacuum pump technology to make him the first person to develop a truly commercially-viable light bulb. Toby Saunders is a freelance writer covering entertainment and technology. He is a writer for BBC Science Focus magazine and Radio Times. He has a degree in film studies from Bath Spa University. Toby has written for PCGamesN, Gamepur, GameRevolution, Pocket Tactics, Nintendo Life, Cineworld and The Loadout.

Why subscribe? • The ultimate action-packed science and technology magazine bursting with exciting information about the universe • Subscribe today and save an extra 5% with checkout code 'LOVE5' • Engaging articles, amazing illustrations & exclusive interviews • Issues delivered straight to your door or device The Menlo Park lab of Thomas Edison, who invented the lightbulb, is shown here after its relocation to the Henry Ford Museum in Greenfield Village, Dearborn, Michigan. The arrow on the vacuum pump (center) marks the site of Edison's recreation of the lighting of the incandescent bulb on Oct. 21, 1929. (Image credit: Hulton Archive/Getty Images) Early research & development The story of the lightbulb begins long before Edison patented the first commercially successful bulb in 1879. In 1800, Italian inventor Alessandro Volta developed the first practical method of generating electricity, the voltaic pile. Made of alternating discs of zinc and copper— interspersed with layers of cardboard soaked in salt water — the pile conducted electricity when a copper wire was connected at either end. Volta's glowing copper wire is officially considered a precursor to the battery, but is also one of the earliest manifestations of incandescent lighting. According to Harold H Schobert (" Energy and Society: An Introduction," CRC Press, 2014) the Voltaic Pile "made it possible for scientists to experiment with electric currents under controlled conditions" and furthered experiments wi...

It is a common scientific myth that Thomas Edison invented the lightbulb. After all, he was known for inventing many great devices and perfecting hundreds more. Edison’s companies not only mass-produced electric lights but created the power stations that lit up cities. Science, however, is about facts, not mythology. The fact is that, despite the help he gave to bring electric light to the homes of hundreds of thousands, it wasn’t Thomas Edison who invented the lightbulb after all. Table of Contents • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Who Invented The Lightbulb? The very first light bulb was not invented by Thomas Edison, but by British inventor Humphry Davy in 1806. His devices created an arc of electricity between electrodes, creating a very bright light. While far too dangerous to use at home, they were used in public spaces and commercially. READ MORE: The First Incandescent Light Bulb The incandescent light bulb, using a filament inside a glass bulb, has a complex history. Belgian inventor The First Practical Light Bulb The first commercial light bulb was created by Joseph Swan in 1860. His bulb, which used a carbon filament within an evacuated glass bulb, did not last very long due to his inability to create a proper vacuum. Later experiments had more success. Swan’s home was the first house in the world to be lit by light bulbs, and in 1881 his devices lit the Savoy Theatre in Westminster. In 1874, Canadian electricians Thomas Edison’s light bulb was patented in 1878, thoug...