The humble lightbulb was revolutionary

The invention of the lightbulb was one of the most significant developments in human history . Almost overnight, it enabled societies around the world to extend the length of a working day and practically "banished the night". 

Prior to its development, artificial light was provided through the combustion of various substances including candles, gas-lights and oil lamps. These were very inefficient and required high-levels of maintenance relative to lightbulbs.

Its development also helped usher in the electronic age and made streets around the world much safer at night.