Thomas Edison's incandescent light bulb, patented in 1880, made electric lighting practical, affordable, and long-lasting. It ...

1976: Fluorescent bulbs go spiral In 1976, Edward Hammer at General Electric figured out how to bend the fluorescent tube into a spiral shape, creating the first compact fluorescent light.

Born in Sunderland, he studied chemistry and moved to Tyneside where, after many years of persistent effort, he created the first successful 'incandescent filament electric lamp' - the light bulb.