A Brief History of LEDs in Lighting

Many people believe that LED (Light-emitting diode) lighting is a 21st century invention, in reality LED’s were created in 1927 and it was not till almost 2010 that they became a popular replcement to incandescent and halogen bulbs.

Many people have helped create the LED lights that we use today. With their countless benefits and improvements on incandescent bulbs (using up to 75 percent less energy than traditional bulbs; they contain zero traces of mercury; they have a lifespan of decades; etc.) it’s no surprise that LEDs are becoming the light of choice in homes and businesses around the world.

  • Russian inventor Oleg Lesev reports the creation of the first LED. Publishing theories on his findings.
  • Professor Kurt Lechovec tests some of Losevs theories, he goes on to explain the first light-emitting diodes.
  • Egon Loebner and Rubin Braunstein create the first green LED.
  • Nick Holonyak develops a red LED- the first on the visible spectrum. The First LED is created.
  • IBM starts to implement LEDs for the first time on a circuit board in an early computer.
  • Hewlett Packard (HP) starts incorporating LEDs into its calculators.
  • A blue LED is created by Edward Miller and Jacques Pankove.
  • Electrical Engineer M. George Craford invents the first yellow LED.
  • Herbert Maruska and Walden C. Rhines from Stafford University create a working blue LED using Magnesium. Setting all future standards.
  • Physicists Isamu Akaski and Hiroshi Amano develop a high-quality Gallium Nitride for blue LEDS. Through Akaski and Amanos developments, electrical engineer Shuji Nakamura creates the first high-brightness blue LED, which quickly leads to the development of white LEDs.
  • White LEDs for residential use become commercially available for approximately $100 per bulb.
  • LED lights start to become popular in schools, offices and hospitals.
  • LED lights are the main source of lighting, halogen and fluorescent bulbs are being phased out.