Humans have used a variety of materials to produce light since antiquity, including hollow rock, shells, wood soaked in animal fat and oil lamps, candles and gas. The invention of the electric light bulb marked the beginning of the modern history of light.
International Day of Light is celebrated annually on May 16 to celebrate the contribution of light and light-based technologies to various fields and areas of life, including arts and culture, education, medicine, communications, science, and sustainable development. Did you know that Humphrey Davy created the first electric lamp in 1802? International Day of Light commemorates the anniversary of physicist and engineer Theodore Maiman’s first effective laser operation in 1960. The United Nations observes the day, which is administered by the International Basic Science Programme (I.B.S.P.) of UNESCO. International Day of Light is celebrated around the world through events and forums organized by people both inside and outside the scientific community.
Humans have used a variety of materials to produce light since antiquity, including hollow rock, shells, wood soaked in animal fat and oil lamps, candles and gas. The invention of the electric light bulb marked the beginning of the modern history of light. The light bulb was invented prior to Thomas Edison’s patent, contrary to popular belief. Edison only made it possible for the light bulb to be manufactured commercially. In 1802, Humphrey Davy invented the electric arc lamp, an early predecessor of the incandescent electric bulb, by connecting voltaic piles to charcoal electrodes. However, the arc lamp was not a practical source of lighting as it was too bright for domestic or work uses, and it burned out quickly. This invention led to the creation of the miner’s safety lamp in 1815 and street illumination in several European cities, including Paris, during the 1800s.
In 1850, Joseph Swan solved one of the problems that electric lamp inventors have encountered over the years: the cost-effectiveness of the lamp’s filament. In lieu of platinum filaments, Swan used cheap carbonized paper filaments. In 1878, he patented his electric lamp in the United Kingdom and demonstrated it at a lecture in Newcastle, England. Swan’s invention, like Davy’s arc lamp, was impracticable for everyday use due to the inefficiency of its vacuum pumps. Edison made modifications and introduced his light bulb in December 1879 after discovering the flaw in Swan’s electric lamp. Swan copied these improvements and established an electrical lighting company in England. Edison’s patent infringement suit against Swan was unsuccessful.
Edison and Swan later formed an alliance called Edison-Swan United, which grew to become the world’s largest light bulb manufacturer. In the early 1960s, Nick Holonyak, an employee at General Electric, inadvertently invented the red LED light and patented it for use as a light fixture. Issei Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano, and Shuji Nakamura, Japanese and American scientists, invented the blue LED in the early 1990s and were awarded the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics for it.
Scientists were able to create white LEDs as a result of this. Lighting is becoming more advanced and sophisticated, with the ability to light up homes and streets wirelessly — using smartphones and AI voice commands. Incandescent light bulbs are also being phased out, with halogen, LED, and OLED alternatives assuming their place.
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The ‘Trust Science’ pledge is a commitment to following the guidance of science in making crucial decisions. Sign this declaration of confidence in science at trust-science.org and encourage your friends to do the same.
On International Day of Light, many organizations and scientific communities worldwide organize forums, festivals, and other events to commemorate the day. You can search UNESCO’s website, Google, or social media for local organisations.
There are several movies and documentaries about the invention of the light bulb and electricity. One of the most prominent ones is “The Current War,” starring Benedict Cumberbatch. Stream it on your favorite streaming service.
Light travels approximately 186,282.4 miles per second in a vacuum and slows when obstructed by the atmosphere.
As with many other living objects, we are bioluminescent, but the light we emit is too weak for our eyes to detect.
It took nearly half a million years after the Big Bang for light to reach the Earth.
Light has amplitude, wavelength, frequency, and wave motion.
It takes eight minutes and seventeen seconds for light to reach the earth from the Sun’s surface.
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | May 16 | Tuesday |
| 2024 | May 16 | Thursday |
| 2025 | May 16 | Friday |
| 2026 | May 16 | Saturday |
| 2027 | May 16 | Sunday |
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