Livermore's Centennial Light Bulb
Click the "Home of the Worlds Longest Burning Light Bulb!" image above to see the Bulb-Cam in action
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New -<br>See Photos of the 125 year party - June 6, 2026
See the Video of singing Happy Birthday to the bulb
Follow this link to
Our Most Requested Photos!
WEBSITE TRANSLATION
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Home<br>Facts<br>Video<br>Articles<br>Celebrations<br>Awards
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Thank you to our<br>original Webmaster
Mayor Marchand's Bulb Message
A New Bulb Book!
The Bulb Goes to the Fair!
Bulb Replicas At Last!
Visiting Hours:
Every day<br>10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.<br>3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
when on-duty personnel are available.
See the Visting Hints page<br>for more information.
Welcome to the homepage of the Centennial Bulb, the Longest burning Light Bulb in history. Now in its 120th year of<br>illumination. For those of you coming here for the first time, feel free to explore the pages of our amazing little bulb, with<br>pictures, stories, facts, and history.
Just a quick goodbye as the webmaster for this site. After 18 years I'm turning over the reigns of this tribute site to<br>new hands. Let me say a word of thanks to all the wonderful people I was privileged to work with on this committee, and encourage<br>all of Livermore to support this amazing little wonder that still turns heads, and brings new faces from all across to world to<br>gaze up in wonder.
--><br>For all you first time visitors, check out our Visting Hints page!<br>Please read this if you are coming for the first time, as it should answer many of your questions. Also while you are here,<br>please ask to see the "multi-bulb display" lit up, (you can see a 100 year old Shelby Bulb up close too).
2021
Martin Kykta writes an article about the light bulb titled,<br>The Mystery of the Centennial Bulb: an Incandescent Light Bulb©.<br>Martin is President of MAK Electro-Optics. He is a physicist with a Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin.<br>He has worked in the semiconductor, optics and display industry for more than 30 years. He has worked on LED, liquid crystal, CRT,<br>FED and MEM technology and printed electronics. He also has worked on many patents and has written articles on display related technology.<br>He is a member of OSA, SPIE and SID organizations.
2020
Fran Blanche posted a YouTube video titled "120 Year Old Shelby Light Bulb - Still Working!!", in November of 2020. You can view it<br>here.
2017
In terms of bulb activities, it was a very quiet year.<br>It had the normal amount of curious visitors, and a few tv crews drop by, but it's 116th year was just a slow warm glow.
Filming of the Inside Edition Show on 7-12-2017.
Click Here to see the show, & here to see a funny clip.
A Photoshoot for Ampoule Journal on 6-22-2017.
2016
A new display case was finished below the bulb by the Firefighters at the station. The New Bulbcam, a Sony, was put up and has been<br>sending out pictures twice as big, sharp, and clear! Thank you Don Peters.
Filming of Mysteries at the Museum Show on 11-14-2016 Photo Shoot.
Online PBS Show "Good Stuff" on 5-24-2016:
2015
We Celebrated the One Million Hour Party! As in 2001, and 2011, the Centennial Light Bulb reached another milestone<br>of 1,000,000 hours! Good times were had by all at Fire Station 6 in Livermore, CA with food, fun, and history in the making.<br>Click 1 Million Hours Bulb to see a web page showing the day. Also click here<br>Bulbcam page to see the party from the Bulb's perspective.
Several film crews stopped by to film our bulb for documentaries and movies. Dick Jones was on hand for<br>a few of these and you can see the behind the scenes shots he took if you follow these links.
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"This Light Bulb Has Been Burning for 115 Years!"
2014
At the beginning of 2014; Livermore has officially taken the Bulb under it's wing, and plans are under way to create a<br>new display under the Bulb, and on the wall, a new look at the Bulbcam, and a re-invention of this website. Stay tuned for lots of<br>changes.
French Film Crew 6-11-2014
ABC World News 10-5-2014
2013
The Bulb is Still Alive! After being Off for over 10 hours on the morning of May 20, 2013, Retired Asst. Chief Tom<br>Bramell called the Station Captain and bypassed the UPS generator, and it Worked! See some pictures of the Bulb off on<br>the Bulbcam page.
To see the story by Juliette Goodrich, go to<br>World's Longest Running Lightbulb Goes Out In...