October 21, 1879 - Thomas Edison and His Team Invent the Incandescent Lightbulb

Thomas Edison holding his incandescent light bulb

 Can anyone imagine a world with no electric lights, just candle light? Many people used gas lights and candles in their homes, which left their homes smelly and also were not safe! On this day in 1879, Thomas Edison, a great inventor of many things and his team created a successful incandescent light bulb, in his laboratory in Menlo Park, NJ. Many others attempted to make an incandescent light for years, but Edison and his team were the first to get a light to burn for 13.5 hours! Soon after Edison discovered the lasting bulb, he attempted to light up his laboratory and home. [1]

Earlier in 1879, Joseph Swan attempted to create the light bulb, he used just carbonized paper to try to make a light bulb. Just before Edison figured out the right kind of filament to put into the light bulb, he tested over 6,000 vegetable growths. Edison was able to figure out that in his attempt at the light bulb, he needed to use not only carbonized filaments made from cotton thread, but also he added a pure vacuum, sprengle pump, and filament material of high resistance.[2] He discovered that the pure vacuum would help to make the light less dark and glow more! In the process of his discovery, Edison figured out that if he pumped air out while heating the bulb, the pure vacuum

The Sprengle Pump Edison used to create his light bulb

worked better. At an earlier attempt Edison originally used a platinum filament in his project, but quickly learned that this was too expensive. [3] Edison needed a brighter light that was more efficient for people to use.

Before Thomas Edison could make any money off of his invention, they had to go through a lot of different test and trials. The test and trials were to see how the light bulb can be used and how it could be improved to work better. Thomas Edison tried over 1,000 times before becoming successful in making the electric light. About getting closer, he said, “I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.” Thomas Edison would never give up on his goals of making his invention successful, and that is what drove him to become very successful in his attempts.

Edison’s main goal was to successfully create a light that would be bright, long lasting, cheaper, use little power, and safer for people’s homes! Even in his younger days, he enjoyed learning about how to improve inventions to make the lives of people better. In his discovery, he successfully spread electrical power to everyone. The current discovery provided people with a source that was reliable and flexible. It still needed some more work and adjustments to keep the light burning strong and bright, which led Edison and his team’s discovery into further work in December to quickly start expanding electrical power to households and businesses in the world.

-Amanda D. and Brandon C.





[1] “Menlo Park.” Edison Memorial Tower Corporation, accessed 9 October, 2013, http://www.menloparkmuseum.org/thomas-edison-and-menlo-park

[2] “Incandescent Lamps” Edison Tech Center, accessed 9 October, 2013, http://www.edisontechcenter.org/incandescent.html

[3] “First Public Demonstration of Edison's Light Bulb.” American Library, accessed 9 October, 2013, http://www.americaslibrary.gov/jb/gilded/jb_gilded_edison_3.html

[4] “Thomas A Edison Quotes.” Brainy Quotes, accessed 16 October, 2013, http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/t/thomas_a_edison.html

[5] “Cover Boy—Thomas Edison.” Patently Brilliant, accessed 16 October, 2013, http://patentlybrilliant.com/blog/?p=224