Thomas Edison is usually credited with the invention of the light bulb in 1879 but historians now believe that this is a myth. In fact, the story of the light bulb begins in 1806 when an English scientist, Humphrey Davy, demonstrated an electric lamp to the Royal Society. Davy called it an 'arc lamp' and created a light by sparking electricity between two charcoal roads. Davy's invention was not well-received because the light was too bright to be used in people's homes. This invention did, however, encourage other scientists to start thinking about how best to design a light bulb. In 1841, for example, a British inventor called Frederick DeMoleyns patented the first glass light bulb and, over the next decade, more and more patents were granted for similar designs.
Edison's light bulb was, therefore, inspired by these earlier works but Humphrey Davy is, perhaps, the man who should be credited with its invention.
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