5: Light Bulb

In his lifetime, Thomas Edison patented over 1,000 inventions.  Of all of his inventions, the light bulb is perhaps his most famous and influential.  Like many inventors of the Industrial Revolution, Thomas Edison did not come up with the idea of an electric light bulb, but rather improved upon previous designs.  Arc lights (right below)  had already been replacing gas street lamps (right above) for quite some time before Edison began working on his light bulb (left). Edison saw arc lights as ineffective and dangerous for several reasons.  First, they were powered by high voltage wires that ran overhead from lamp to lamp.  In addition, arc lights were extremely bright, gave off noxious fumes, and burnt out after a short period of time. Edison sought out to create a light bulb that could, not only be used for street lamps, but also inexpensive enough to shine in people's homes.  He also envisioned running power though lines underground to bring electricity into businesses and residences. 

With a team of scientists, Edison worked non-stop to create the first incandescent light bulb. They experimented with several types of filaments to create a bulb that would be long-lasting.  At first, Edison and his team were able to create a bulb that lasted an incredible 13.5 hours.  Later, they created a bulb that lasted over 100 hours. Once this model was perfected, Edison and his team had to create a whole host of other inventions in order to distribute and install power including: electrical sockets, fuses, switches, junction boxes and more.  Edison opened power stations to produce and distribute electricity to the masses. His company was originally called Edison Light Company, later renamed General Electric.  His invention made possible many other inventions that required electrical power including electric irons, fans, motors and refrigerators.