Ne

Neon

In 1898, a serendipitous discovery in a British laboratory led to one of the most iconic elements in history. Sir William Ramsay and Morris Travers were experimenting with liquid air when they isolated a mysterious new gas. When they ran an electric current through it, the gas erupted in a brilliant crimson glow that lit up their laboratory with an unprecedented reddish-orange flame.

Neon’s journey from laboratory curiosity to cultural icon took a turn in 1910 when French engineer Georges Claude transformed it into the world’s first neon light, unveiling his creation at the Paris Motor Show. Claude was actually running a business selling liquid oxygen and needed to find a use for neon, which was merely a byproduct of his main operation.

Pure neon only produces that classic reddish-orange glow we associate with vintage signage. Every other “neon” color you see in signs actually comes from different noble gases or special coatings.