The invention of the light bulb was a cumulative effort involving several inventors over many decades, rather than the work of a single person.
- The earliest foundation was laid by Humphry Davy in 1802, who created the first electric light known as the electric arc lamp by passing current through carbon electrodes
- In the mid-1800s, inventors like Warren de la Rue, Joseph Swan, and others developed incandescent lamps with carbon filaments in vacuum tubes. Swan patented a practical version in the UK in 1878 and demonstrated it in 1879
- Thomas Edison is often credited as the inventor of the light bulb because he created the first commercially practical incandescent light bulb in 1879-1880. He improved on earlier designs by using a better filament material (Japanese bamboo carbonized thread), achieving a higher vacuum, and making the bulb last longer and be economically viable for widespread use
- Edison and Swan eventually collaborated, combining their technologies to produce improved bulbs under the company Ediswan
- Other inventors such as Alexander Lodygin, Henry Woodward, and Mathew Evans also contributed patents and designs that Edison built upon
In summary, while Thomas Edison is credited with inventing the first commercially practical light bulb, the invention itself was the result of many contributions over time from inventors including Humphry Davy, Joseph Swan, Warren de la Rue, and others
