1876—Paul Jablochkoff invented the “electric candle,” an arc light commercially used for lighting the boulevards in Paris.
1877–8—Arc light systems commercially established in the United States by William Wallace and Prof. Moses Farmer, Edward Weston, Charles F. Brush and Prof. Elihu Thomson and Edwin J. Houston.
1879—Thomas Alva Edison invented an incandescent lamp consisting of a high resistance carbon filament operating in a high vacuum maintained by an all glass globe. These principles are used in all incandescent lamps made today. He also invented a completely new system of distributing electricity at constant pressure, now universally used.
1882—Lucien Goulard and John D. Gibbs invented a series alternating current system of distributing electric current. This has not been commercially used.
1886—William Stanley invented a constant pressure alternating current system of distribution. This is universally used where current is to be distributed long distances.
1893—Louis B. Marks invented the enclosed carbon arc lamp.
1898—Bremer’s invention of the flame arc lamp, having carbons impregnated with various salts, commercially established.
1900—Dr. Walther Nernst’s invention of the Nernst lamp commercially established. The burner consisted of various oxides, such as zirconia, which operated in the open air.
1901—Dr. Peter Cooper Hewitt’s invention of the mercury arc light commercially established.
1902—The magnetite arc lamp was developed by C. A. B. Halvorson, Jr. This has a new method of control of the arc. The negative electrode consists of a mixture of magnetite and other substances packed in an iron tube.