March 20 in Technology History: Standards, Patents and Breakthroughs
March 20, 2026
1883
On 20 March, Thomas Edison’s US Patent 274,290 for a system of electrical distribution was granted, reflecting early architectures for delivering electric power to many loads and contributing to the technical and commercial evolution of centralized electric lighting networks.
1883
On 20 March, Thomas Edison’s US Patent 274,293 for an electric lamp was issued, documenting design details for incandescent lighting components at a time when materials, vacuum techniques, and filament durability were central engineering challenges for practical electric light.
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