DENVER, Colo. — If you celebrate Christmas, chances are you have a Christmas Tree with Christmas Tree lights on it. In fact, you probably have outdoor Christmas Tree lights as well! Did you know: outdoor Christmas lights were invented in Denver?

They were created by a man named D.D. Sturgeon back in 1914. If his name sounds familiar, it’s because D.D. Sturgeon also created Sturgeon Electric (in 1912).

“In 1914, David Dwight Sturgeon’s son was very ill and sick in bed and was too ill to go and enjoy the Christmas lights on the tree [in their living room],” said Erin Stromberg with Sturgeon Electric. “[So] he decided to dip some lights into red and green paint and he strung them on a tree in their front yard so that [his son] could enjoy them from his room,”.

It was a big deal for folks who had never seen such a thing.

“This display of lights brought about a lot of commotion and a lot of people started coming from all around to come see the lights,” said Stromberg.

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