Which was invented first?
The answer
Oldest
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The first lighter (Döbereiner's lamp) 1823
A German chemist invented it four years before the first friction matches went on sale. Source
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John Walker sells the first friction matches 1827
He never called them matches: he sold them as "friction lights". Source
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The safety match (struck on the box) 1844
A Swede, Gustaf Erik Pasch, came up with the idea of a separate striking strip. Source
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Edison's light bulb 1879
Its first successful test, in October 1879, kept it glowing for 13.5 hours. Source
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Neon lights (Georges Claude) 1910
They were first shown at the Paris Motor Show: two bright red tubes, 12 metres long. Source
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The lava lamp 1963
Its British inventor got the idea from a homemade egg timer bubbling on a pub stove. Source
Newest