Joseph wilson swan short biography

Sir Joseph Wilson Swan (1828-1914) was an English physicist and chemist, most famous for the invention of the incandescent light bulb.

1828 October 31st.

Joseph Swan was born in at Pallion Hall in Sunderland, and he served an apprenticeship with a pharmacist there.

Soon after leaving school he was apprenticed to a firm of chemists in Sunderland.

c.1844 He entered the firm of John Mawson, whose partner and brother-in-law he became later.

Sir joseph wilson swan

1850 He began working on a light bulb using carbonized paper filaments in an evacuated glass bulb.

1860 He was able to demonstrate a working device, and obtained a UK patent covering a partial vacuum, carbon filament incandescent lamp.

However, the lack of a good vacuum and an adequate electric source resulted in an inefficient bulb with a small, limited lifetime.

1861 Living at 17 Bloomfield Terrace, Gateshead: Joseph W. Swan (age 32 born Bishopwearmouth), Chemist and Druggist.

With his mo