1879
1879 is the year Edison demonstrated a practical incandescent lamp.
- Odd
- Prime
Where 1879 fits
Why 1879 is special
He did not invent the light bulb; roughly twenty earlier versions existed. His contribution was a filament and vacuum that lasted long enough to sell, plus the generating and distribution system to make it useful.
1879 is part of
Factors & digit properties
- Divisors (2)
- 1, 1879
- Prime factorisation
- 1879
- Digit sum
- 25
- Digital root
- 7
Representations
- Decimal
- 1879
- Scientific notation
- 1.879 × 10^3
Roman numerals
M D C C C L X X I X
MDCCCLXXIX uses the subtractive pair IX: one before ten — ten minus one.
Binary
1 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 1 1
1 × 1,024 + 1 × 512 + 1 × 256 + 0 × 128 + 1 × 64 + 0 × 32 + 1 × 16 + 0 × 8 + 1 × 4 + 1 × 2 + 1 × 1 = 1,879
Octal
3 5 2 7
3 × 512 + 5 × 64 + 2 × 8 + 7 × 1 = 1,879
Hexadecimal
7 5 7
7 × 256 + 5 × 16 + 7 × 1 = 1,879
Read as powers of two: 1,024 + 512 + 256 + 64 + 16 + 4 + 2 + 1 = 1,879.
In historical numeral systems
Egyptian
1 lotus, 8 coils of rope, 7 hobbles, 9 strokes
1 × 1,000 + 8 × 100 + 7 × 10 + 9 × 1 = 1,879. The signs are simply repeated and added; where they sit on the line is a matter of layout, not value.
Babylonian
3 corner wedges + 1 vertical wedge (sixties place), 1 corner wedge + 9 vertical wedges (units place)
31 × 60 + 19 = 1879. Places are separated by a space on the tablet, with the higher place written first.
Systems that simply cannot reach this value are left out. Where a script needs a font most readers do not have, the reading is given instead of the glyphs — see number systems for each system in full.
Other mathematical patterns
- Deficient number
- Lucky number (mathematical sieve)
- Twin prime
Related numbers & connections
1879 is a year in the 19th century, in the 1870s.
Edison demonstrated a practical lamp in 1879 and patented it in 1880; Swan had demonstrated one in Britain earlier. The dispute ended in a merger rather than a judgement.
View 1880 →Technology & computing
In 1879, Edison demonstrated a practical incandescent lamp (North America).
DocumentedTechnology & computingGeography: North AmericaPeriod: 1879Incandescent lamps existed before 1879. What Edison produced was a lamp that lasted, and — more importantly — the power stations, meters and wiring to supply it. Selling electricity rather than lamps is the actual innovation.
DocumentedTechnology & computingPeriod: 1879
Common questions
Is 1879 a prime number?
Yes, 1879 is prime — it has exactly two positive divisors: 1 and itself.
What are the factors of 1879?
The factors of 1879 are 1, 1879.
What is 1879 in Roman numerals?
1879 in Roman numerals is MDCCCLXXIX. IX is subtractive: one before ten — ten minus one. Written additively it would be MDCCCLXXVIIII, which Roman inscriptions used freely — the strict subtractive form is a later convention.
About this page's data
Mathematical facts:computed directly from the number's value — nothing to source or verify externally.
Contextual records: 2 reviewer-confirmed records, sourced and reviewed before publication.
Last reviewed: 15 July 2026