Georges Claude was born in Paris, France in 1870. He is credited as being an inventor, engineer, and chemist. In 1902 he created the first neon lamp by applying an electrical discharge to a sealed tube filled with neon gas. In 1902 he also co-founded the French company Air Liquide, which produced oxygen by liquefying air.
The world saw the first public display of neon light in Paris in December of 1910 at the Paris Motor Show. However, no one was interested in using his lights to light their homes. In response he developed a way to bend the tubes and form different shapes. In 1915 he received a U.S. patent for the neon tubes used for lighting. In 1923 he introduced neon signs to the U.S. The first signs belonged to a car dealership in Los Angeles. People were so fascinated by the 'liquid fire' signs that they would stop and stare at them. The signs read "Packard". It did not take long for the signs to catch on for outdoor advertising. The signs eventually made it to Las Vegas where they took over the city. The signs were originally red, being the natural color of neon. Today the signs are available in over 150 different colors. Georges Claude died in 1960.
http://inventors.about.com/od/qstartinventions/a/neon.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georges_Claude
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