On New Year's Eve, 1879, Thomas Edison unveiled his newest invention: the electric light. Reporters came from all over the U.S. to see Edison's Menlo Park lab lit up with his incandescent bulbs.

Photo: Melina Gillies Blown glass shades can throw a bright, modern light and make a statement no matter where they are in your home. Easily recognizable, these bulbs are a replica of Edison's ...

When Edison patented the light bulb in 1880, its exact value was hard to gauge; widespread electrification was still decades away. Still, Johnson, Edison and others invested $35,000 to form the ...

Americans have lit up Christmas trees since the early 19th century [PDF]—long before the invention of the modern ... Thomas Edison had just perfected the world’s first practical light bulb ...