A Brief History of the Lightbulb

A Brief History of the Lightbulb
Nathan Lazarnick / George Eastman House / Getty Images

Bright Idea
Thomas Edison was not the sole inventor of the incandescent lightbulb, nor was he the first. But Edison's electric lamp, patented in 1880, was the marketplace's favorite, bringing light to the masses and turning the 33-year-old Edison into America's golden boy.

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