A typical lightbulb can last about a year. The one hanging from the ceiling at Fire Station No. 6 in Livermore has lasted more than a century.
The Centennial Lightbulb, as it’s known, has been glowing almost continuously since 1901. This June, it’s expected to reach its 125 year mark. Time has turned a simple light fixture into one of the Bay Area’s head-scratching curiosities.
Recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest burning light in the world, the bulb has turned off only a handful of times, mostly during moves between firehouses and once due to an unexpected generator outage. It’s drawn visitors from Israel, Saudi Arabia and Germany and been the subject of children’s books. The Centennial was even featured in a South African commercial for financial lending. Locally, the lamp has become a frequent stop for people passing through the Bay Area city of about 90,000 residents…