The electric light was invented by Edison, which is something known to the people of the world, even in primary school textbooks.
But U.S. President Joe Biden didn't think so, saying that the electric light was not actually invented by Edison, but by a black man, and even complained: Why don't our history books teach this history?
Biden spoke to say that the inventor of the electric light was not Edison
Is Biden an intermittent confusion about Alzheimer's disease or is he telling the truth? Let's look at the history of the invention of the light bulb.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="5" > the world's earliest electric light</h1>
The world's first electric lamp was invented by the Englishman Humphrey Davy in the early 19th century, who created the arc lamp with 2,000 batteries and two carbon rods, which was the first electric lamp for mankind. However, this arc lamp is too bright, too hot and not durable, so it cannot be promoted at all.
Humphrey Davy's electric light
The carbon rod arcs into a light source
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="10" > the first utility electric light</h1>
Henri Gobert, a German watchmaker who could not mix in his own country, went to the United States and invented the world's first practical light bulb.
In 1854, Henry Gobert used carbonized bamboo wire into a semi-vacuum bottle, then lit it with electricity for 400 hours, making it the world's first practical light bulb. Unfortunately, he did not apply for a patent in time, which also laid the foundation for his later lawsuit with Edison.
Carbon filament lamp
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="13" > the first patented light bulb</h1>
In 1860, the Englishman Joseph Swan also made a carbon wire electric lamp, but unfortunately it was not put into a vacuum environment to run, and the life was relatively short.
It was not until 1878, when vacuum technology in Britain reached the level of demand, that Joseph Swan invented the energized carbon filament light bulb under vacuum and applied for a patent in England.
Glass bulbs
But before Joseph Swan, two Canadian engineers patented a light-emitting device for filling glass with nitrogen in 1874.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="17" > Edison's bulb</h1>
Originally bought from the two Canadians, Edison patented the electric lamp, and after his own improvement, he made a carbonized bamboo filament lamp that could last for 1200 hours and applied for a patent, which was the world's first commercial electric lamp.
Carbonized filament
Put on a glass cover
Later, of course, the watchmakers Henri Goebbels and Edison quarreled over the patent for the light bulb. Dramatically, although Henry Goebbels won the case, after his death, his widow sold the patent to Edison.
The last thing everyone knows, Edison improved the light bulb, and carried the electric light forward, and promoted it to the whole world. Thus the honorary title of inventor of the light bulb fell to Edison.
Partners of Edison Electric Lights
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="22" > black invented the light bulb</h1>
Biden's black man was lewis Latimer, who had worked with Edison for several years and had played a big role in Edison's experiments to improve light bulbs.
Lewis Latimer
In the process of improving the life of the bulb, it is undeniable that Edison is the leader, and Latimer is more to assist Edison in experimenting and drafting patent documents.
Ratimer never said that Edison's electric lamp was improved and invented by him, and in 1890 he wrote a book called Incandescent Electric Lighting: A Practical Description of the Edison System, which shows that he himself believed that Edison was the inventor of the electric lamp.
Latimer's book
Biden opened his mouth to say that the light bulb was invented by black people, and its ZZ purpose is self-evident, just to get the support of black people, but he did not expect that because he was not familiar with history, he almost overturned the car.
The incandescent lamp we still use today is the tungsten filament bulb, invented in 1904 by two inventors in Hungary and Croatia, but the improvement and promotion was done by the General Electric Company.
Edison as a young man
The main founder of GE was Edison, so there is not much of a problem with Edison being the inventor of electric lights. But we have to remember the thing, behind the invention of the electric lamp, there are still many people who have also paid hard work and wisdom!