Tungsten wire

Edison's light bulb used carbon fibers as filaments, which were brittle and didn't last long. Metal wire would be better, and the one with the highest melting point was tungsten. Coolidge perfected a method for drawing it into fine wire.
 William David Coolidge United States 1909 Tungsten wire

Edison's light bulb used carbon fibers as filaments, which were brittle and didn't last long. Metal wire would be better, and the one with the highest melting point was tungsten. Coolidge perfected a method for drawing it into fine wire.