Fluorescent lighting has been around for more than 150 years. The research and development of the technology is due to the hard work of many brilliant inventors and scientists. If you'd like to know more about the history of fluorescent lights, then read onward.

19th Century

Heinrich Geissler was the man who first developed the fluorescent light in 1856 and it was something he didn't do on purpose. He filled tubes with gas that produced light after they were stimulated by electricity. This invention had a major part in the future developments of fluorescent light technology and by the end of the century there were many who were doing their own experiments which were based on the findings from Geissler. Thomas Edison was one of those who experimented with the technology and he was able to invent the first light bulb that lasted a long time.

Beginning of the 20th Century

The first fluorescent light was successfully made in 1901 by Peter Cooper Hewitt. He created a bulb that contained a tube on the inside that was filled with mercury and the low pressure mercury was then excited by electricity, resulting in UV light. This invention never made waves due to the strange light produced by this bulb. However, in 1926 the technology was improved upon by Edmund Germer who managed to stabilize the bulb and make the emitted light look more attractive. Success came fast after these changes.

Middle of the 20th Century

Shortly before the start of the Second World War, GE purchased the fluorescent light patent from Germer. The bulb was then promoted around the world and was even displayed at the World's Fair in 1939. However, fluorescent lighting only started replacing incandescent lighting after conserving energy became a priority during the war. Since fluorescent lighting was more energy efficient and businesses started to use it, the demand for it increased.

Last-quarter 20th Century

At the end of World War II and up until the 1960s, the fluorescent bulb was widely used by businesses and organizations. They were a great alternative to incandescent bulbs at the time, but homeowners did not join this movement. This is because fluorescent lights just didn't fit in residential lighting fixtures. During the 1970s it was GE that came up with ways to make fluorescent lighting available for residential households. The company developed the CFL or Compact Fluorescent Lamp and that was the breakthrough of the fluorescent lamp into mainstream sales.

The Near Future

The trend towards green practices is on the rise and that is making fluorescent lighting much more popular among those who want to be more energy conscious and contribute to saving the environment. The Green Economy Proposal set forth by US President Obama makes energy efficiency a top priority, making fluorescent technology all the more important.