The ubiqitous light bulb that lights up our home with the flick of a switch is now hundred years old.

 

In 1876, Thomas A. Edison set up his home and research laboratory on the site of an unsuccessful real estate development in Raritan Township called Menlo Park. It was in the Menlo Park Laboratory that Thomas Edison came up with his most famous inventions, including the phonograph and electric light. Christie Street was the first street to use electric lights for illumination. Edison subsequently moved his lab to West Orange in 1883. (Reference.com)

 

I think Thomas Alwa Edison will remain on this earth till the last ray of Light remains.

He tested over 3000 filaments be4 he came up with his version of practical light bulb.

Long live Edison.

go Edison!

 

however, i personally prefer my gas-arc-discharge lamps with a touch of mercury and phosphor, also high power LEDs,

by the time i run enough current through my tungsten filaments to get white light i burn the filament.

but there is a compromise!

http://www.powerlabs.org/plasmaglobes.htm

which, unfortunately, seems to burn faster.

go J W Swan

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Wilson_Swan

 

Or possibly H Göbel

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_G%C3%B6bel

 

Really depends how you describe "inventor of the light bulb" as it was an ongoing development process, although Edison did sell his development comertially before anyone else...