National Flashlight Day

Flashlights, as they are known as in the United States, have been a fundamental way to help us see the paths that we walk in the pitch black night. They help us to keep an eye out for dangers in the path or help us find our way back to where we began walking from. Today we’re going to look at the history of National Flashlight Day, so let us grab our flashlights and go searching in the cave of the past!

History of National Flashlight Day

Let’s take a look at the history of the flashlight itself and see how it came into creation. The flashlight is a portable, battery-powered light source that is called a torch outside of North America.

With the invention of the dry cell and miniature incandescent electric light bulbs, it soon allowed the first battery-powered flashlights to be possible around the year 1899. In 1887, the very first dry cell battery was invented. Unlike previous batteries, it used an electrolyte paste instead of a liquid electrolyte.

This was the very first battery actually suitable for portable electrical devices that were safe, as it did not spill or break easily and worked in any orientation, unlike the liquid electrolyte batteries. The first mass-produced dry cell batteries started coming in around 1896, and the invention of portable electric lights soon followed suit.

Flashlights had become extremely popular in China around the 1930’s, with around sixty companies making flashlights for the population of China, some even selling for as little as one-third of the cost of equivalent imported models that were being shipped out at the time.

National Flashlight Day was established to be celebrated on this day each year because it is the day that has the least amount of daylight — which means there may be extra cause for using a flashlight!

How to Celebrate National Flashlight Day

To celebrate this day there are a few ways to do so actually. The first option is to gather a bunch of friends together in a group and hide in the woods or thick areas behind our homes, one person does not have a flashlight, and they must search for the others, who have to flash their lights once every five minutes as to give the seeker a clue as to where they are.

A second way to celebrate is to make a box fort, and in every corner of the fort, cut a hole in the top with enough room to hold the flashlight in place and use them as spotlights. How many ways can you think of to celebrate National Flashlight Day? We’re sure you can brighten up the world with your ideas!