History of Light
- 400,000 BC
- The caveman discovers fire. 402,006 years later that same caveman will become a Geico pitchman.
- 13,000 BC
- Prehistoric man makes lamps out of rocks and horns filled with grease, allowing for many late-night carving sessions in caves.
- 5000 BC
- Fireflies are captured and ordered to light-up on command. Results were mixed.
- 4000 BC
- Lamps are fueled by olive oil, fish oil, sesame oil and other plant oils. Sometimes lamp owners would get hungry and eat their own lamp fuel. They also leaked.
- 600 BC
- Lamps are created with handles for more portability. They still leaked.
- 500 BC
- Oil Reservoir Lamps are developed. No more leaks.
- 400 AD
- Candles are invented. Romantic dinners ensued.
- 1792
- Gas is used for the first time to produce light. It smelled better than fish oil.
- 1814
- Gas lighting is used to light the streets of London. People felt safer when they walked home alone.
- 1816
- Gas lighting is introduced to American and British theaters. Many fires soon followed. Refunds were not always honored.
- 1874
- The first electric filament lamp is created by two Canadians, Henry Woodward and Matthew Evans, who would learn to hate a guy named Thomas Edison a few years later.
- 1879
- Thomas Edison becomes the first to market incandescent lighting. No, he didn't invent it, but his contributions advanced the technology.
- 1927
- The light emitting diode (LED) is discovered in Russia by a radio technician, Oleg Losev, who noticed that diodes used in radio receivers emitted light when a current passed through.
- 1937
- Fluorescent lamps are created. Lighting generated using hazardous chemicals like mercury was made available to suck the life out of the human spirit in most business offices.
- 1965
- LEDs invade the United States and no one seems to notice because 4 lads from Liverpool invade around the same time.
- 1980
- LED devices appear around the country due to their ability to operate with low temperatures and low currents, bringing “coolness” to all toy departments.
- 1989
- First commercial blue LED hits the market, thanks to Cree. Volkswagon is one of the first customers, and dashboards have never been the same.
- 2006
- Cree, Inc. introduces the industryʼs first lighting-class LED. Employees in cubicles celebrate by singing a little louder and ordering extra cake at the weekly office birthday party.
- 2007
- The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 requires 25% greater efficiency for light bulbs made after 2012. Sorry, incandescent light bulbs. You had a good run.
- 2009
- The LED Revolution begins. LEDs are now bringing efficient, high-quality and long-lasting light to homes and businesses everywhere.
