Eternal

We have a lantern outside, over the basement door. The incandescent bulbs I used to put in it lasted about about as long as a Kardashian marriage, 'til the day I replaced the fixture and used one of those new (at the time) LED bulbs, and I can't even remember how long that bulb's been aglow, but it's been a good while now. 

Climbing up ladders and replacing burned-out bulbs is one of those concepts long since relegated to the dustbin of history along with caroling door to door on snowy Christmas Eves, and snowy Christmas Eves. Bulbs burn forever now (watch this one go dark tonight, knowwhaddimsayin?) And while I hope this has not been a hardship on the people who work at light bulb factories, it's probably saved many a choredoer many a climb and fall.

But out in Livermore (you can picture someone saying, "Livermore" but who says, "more liver, please!") there is, at Fire Station 6 (4550 East Ave) an old time incandescent bulb that's been lit since 1901, with some exceptions, such as the 1937 firehouse renovations, the time in 2013 when the uninterruptable power supply died, and when it was moved to its present location.  So, except for those minimal gaps, this bulb has been on the job for 123 years, and who among us can make that claim? 

The bulb originally glowed at 60 watts' worth. Today, if you were trying to read this under the eternal bulb, you'd only get 4 watts of light, and its main purpose, beside being a tourist attraction, is as a nightlight for Station 6.

They have a Webcam so you can see it for yourself: http://bulbcam.cityofpleasantonca.gov/view/view.shtml?id=116787&imagepath=%2Fmjpg%2Fvideo.mjpg&size=1

Whoever bought the bulb in 1901 certainly got their money's worth!