Today is a very special day for us – it is the 82nd anniversary of our institution, which was dedicated as The Edison Institute in honor of Henry Ford’s dear friend and mentor, Thomas Edison.

October 21, 1929 was also significant in that it was the 50th anniversary of Edison’s invention of the electric light bulb, so Ford planned an elaborate celebration – called “Light’s Golden Jubilee” – to not only formally dedicate his own institution but also celebrate the successes of Edison and other American innovators who had helped shape our great nation’s history.

The guest list for this historic day was a veritable “who’s-who” of the era’s most important and influential figures, including Orville Wright, Marie Curie, John D. Rockefeller, Jr. and even President Herbert Hoover, who arrived at Greenfield Village on a steam locomotive! The locomotive is still on display inside Henry Ford Museum.

You can read here about the full history of Light’s Golden Jubilee, then check out some of the historic images from that day on our Flickr stream - or watch vintage film footage of that day on our YouTube channel!

What is your favorite memory of The Henry Ford? Tell us in the comments box below!