With the increasing global focus on energy-efficient lighting – prompting many countries to swear off traditional incandescent bulbs – LED technology has emerged as a top contender for mainstream use in home lighting, LED flashlights and other applications. Offering a long life span, significant energy savings and non-toxic construction, LED lights are taking the world by storm. However, the LED bulb is far from a new technology. Its odyssey began near the turn of the 20th century, when the discovery of LED lighting failed to make a blip on the public radar. Check out the timeline below to learn how the LED light evolved from an unsung technology into a worldwide energy conservation hero.