Page "Fluorescence" Paragraph 49

Fluorescent lights were first available to the public at the 1939 New York World's Fair.

Improvements since then have largely been better phosphors, longer life, and more consistent internal discharge, and easier-to-use shapes ( such as compact fluorescent lamps ).

Some high-intensity discharge ( HID ) lamps couple their even-greater electrical efficiency with phosphor enhancement for better color rendition.