Broadway’s Bright Idea

It wouldn’t be too far off to suggest that December 20 is a rather electric day in history.

On this day in 1879, Thomas Edison demonstrated his incandescent light at a private gathering at his Menlo Park, New Jersey, laboratory. Meanwhile, exactly one year later, New York City’s famed Broadway theatre district gained the moniker the “Great White Way” after the city installed arc lamps along the strip. The lamps, which were for outdoor use only (they were too bright and risky to keep inside), allowed patrons to enjoy the street well into the evening until the city shut them down and replaced them years later.