On this night in science
A night lit by electric lights
December 31, 1879
On this night in 1879, Thomas Edison invited the public to his laboratory in Menlo Park, New Jersey, and showed them buildings and grounds lit up by his new electric light bulbs. Crowds came to see the glow.
Why it mattered
Electric lights weren't new, but Edison's could glow for many hours and be switched on and off inside a home. Within a few years, his company was lighting streets and houses.
Wonder together
What do you think people did after dark before there were electric lights?
There's an episode about this
Electricity: The Copper Highway
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