1847 – 1931
Thomas Edison
United StatesElectrical
Background
An American inventor and businessman who built the Menlo Park 'invention factory'.
Contribution
Developed a practical, long-lasting incandescent lamp and — crucially — the complete electric-lighting system (generation, distribution, sockets, meters) that made it commercial (1879–1882).
Popular credit vs. the record
Edison did not invent the light bulb from scratch; many prior filament lamps existed. His system, and a durable high-resistance lamp, made electric light practical. Joseph Swan developed a parallel lamp in Britain.
Associated inventions
Collaborators & contemporaries
Sources & further reading
Each citation names the publisher and the exact reference title.
- Encyclopædia Britannica — technology & biography topic articlesEncyclopædia Britannica · Encyclopedia
- Smithsonian — National Museum of American HistorySmithsonian Institution · Museum
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