🕯️ Ancient to Pre-Industrial Era
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~15,000 BCE – Natural light sources: Fire and torches used by early humans.
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~4500 BCE – Clay oil lamps used in Mesopotamia and Egypt.
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~300 BCE – Greek and Roman oil lamps made of bronze and terracotta.
🔥 Middle Ages to Early Modern Era
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9th century CE – Candle making improves (tallow and beeswax candles).
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1780 – Argand Lamp: Brighter oil lamp with cylindrical wick and glass chimney.
💡 Industrial Revolution and Birth of Electric Light
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1800 – First electric arc lamp demonstrated by Humphry Davy.
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1841 – Arc lamps used in public lighting (expensive and dangerous).
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1879 – Thomas Edison’s carbon-filament incandescent bulb (practical and long-lasting).
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1880s – Widespread electrification begins.
💡 Advances in Incandescent and Gas Lighting
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1904 – Tungsten filament improves lifespan and brightness of bulbs.
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1920s – Gas discharge lamps (neon, mercury vapor) introduced.
🌟 Fluorescent to Halogen Lighting
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1938 – Fluorescent lamps introduced (more efficient, longer life).
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1959 – Halogen bulbs developed (brighter and more compact).
💡 The LED Revolution
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1962 – First visible red LED developed by Nick Holonyak.
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1970s–80s – LEDs used in indicators and calculators (red, green, yellow).
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1994 – Blue LED invented by Shuji Nakamura — key for white LEDs.
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2000s – White LEDs become efficient and affordable for general lighting.
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2010s – LEDs dominate global lighting market due to high efficiency, longevity, and eco-friendliness.
🌐 Present & Future
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Today – Smart LEDs, organic LEDs (OLEDs), and quantum dot LEDs (QLEDs) are used in homes, phones, TVs, and cities.
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Future – Research on Li-Fi (light-based internet) and laser lighting continues.