Today in History - 1915

The neon-lighting tube was patented on this day, as U.S. Patent 1,125,476. Frenchman Georges Claude's patent for the purification process included the process of "electrical bombarding," which has been unique to the neon industry.

Claude fully exploited his patent commercially. He alone made and sold the signs in Paris and quickly spread out to other big cities. In 1923, Georges Claude and his French company Claude Neon, introduced neon gas signs to the United States, by selling two to a Packard car dealership in Los Angeles. Earle C. Anthony purchased the two signs reading "Packard" for a reported $24,000.

The demand for neon signs increased to such an extent that Claude couldn't fulfill all the requests he received. Thus, he finally decided to sell franchise licenses outside of France for $100,000, plus royalties for each one.