Gregory’s Light Bulb

On October 22, 1879, the first successful test of the light bulb was conducted by Thomas Edison. It was a long process in the making that underwent several designs by several inventors before finally finding “the light” on this day 129 years ago. Along with the help of Joseph Wilson Swan, an English physicist and chemist, the duo used past failed attempts at creating the first electric light bulb by a slew of inventors to create the first successful one.

The entire process, according to many historians, was 20 years in the making and involved a wide range of materials. Edison and Swan used a carbon filament for their first successful test run and this is the model that became the first commercial light bulb that would change the way the entire world.

Nowadays, we are inundated with light everywhere we go. Light bulbs are on even when the sun is at its brightest. And now that our lives are dependent on constant illumination, light bulbs have evolved.

Nowadays we have a wide array of light bulbs for many purposes. A good place to look to see just how varied the light bulb is today is Sea Gull Lighting. With spiral fluorescent light bulbs and circle fluorescent bulbs that are designed to save energy and give off less heat as well as newer LED lights (see our blog on LED lighting!), the light bulb has evolved to levels Edison, one of the most creative men to have ever lived, could never have dreamed of.

The focus of light bulbs today is more than just a decent lighting source. The public have demanded light sources that are energy-efficient, environmentally friendly, as well as comforting to the senses with ambient and accent lighting (see our many Design Articles with info on creating relaxing bedroom lighting as well as general ambiance lighting). We’ve come a long, long way since just needing some way to see in the dark. 129 years will bring a lot of changes along the way. Thus, we wish the light bulb a happy 129th birthday! We have no doubt there will be 129 more and we can’t wait to see what will happen along the way.