The 100-Year-Old Light Bulb

The world’s longest glowing light bilb in Fire Station 6, in Livermore, northern California

The world’s oldest working light bulb is approaching its 112th birthday. On June 18th, the Guinness World Record-holding bulb will have been glowing in local fire stations in Livermore, California, for 112 years. Since 1901 the longest the bulb has been turned off is a mere week.

Now known as the Centennial Bulb, it was donated to the local fire brigade by Adolphe Chailet, a competitor of Thomas Edison. Although he was never as successful as the shamelessly entrepreneurial Edison, Chailet’s light bulbs were proved to survive higher voltages.

Other old things still working

• Harry Cox’s American Sturtevant vacuum cleaner No.4, sucking since 1904.
• Rosemary Kinghorn’s Frigidaire, still keeping food cool after 76 years.
• The FACOM 128B computer was built in 1958. It occupies 700 feet of floor space in Japan’s Ikeda Memorial Hall and has less computing power than a pocket calculator.

Source: Gracie Murano for oddee.com