360What happened in 1880?
2 moments from 1880 on 360n60, each told in 60 words or fewer.
- On this day · 27 January 1880
Edison receives his patent for the electric lamp
On 27 January 1880, Thomas Edison received a US patent for his carbon-filament electric lamp. Long-lasting and affordable, it helped bring electric light into homes and streets. In 1882 his company opened power stations in London and New York to supply electricity.
- On this day · 29 February 1880
Tunnellers break through the Gotthard rail tunnel
On 29 February 1880, workers digging from both ends of the Gotthard rail tunnel in Switzerland met in the middle. The 15 km tunnel through the Alps, then the longest in the world, opened in 1882 and linked northern Europe and Italy by rail. A new, even longer tunnel opened in 2016.