On December 22, 1882, Edward Hibberd Johnson, a close business associate of Thomas Edison, displayed the world’s first electrically lit Christmas tree at his townhouse in New York City.
Key Historical Details
- The Inventor: Edward
H. Johnson was the vice president of the Edison Electric Light Company.
While Edison is credited with inventing the first strand of outdoor lights
in 1880, Johnson was the first to apply them to a Christmas tree.
- The Display: The
six-foot tree featured 80 hand-wired, walnut-sized electric bulbs in
red, white, and blue. To make the display even more impressive, the tree
sat on a rotating pedestal.
- A Safer Alternative: Before
this, families decorated trees with wax candles, which posed a severe fire
hazard. Johnson's invention provided a safer, though initially expensive,
alternative.
- Public Impact: A
reporter from the Detroit Post and Tribune witnessed the
event on December 22, describing it as a "most picturesque and
uncanny aspect". However, it took decades for the tradition to become
widespread due to the high cost of electricity and specialized
installation.
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