About Franjo Hanaman
Lived 1878 – 1941 (aged 62). Franjo Hanaman was a Yugoslav and Hungarian chemist, engineer, university teacher and inventor.
Franjo Hanaman (June 30, 1878 – January 23, 1941) was a Croatian inventor, engineer, and chemist, who gained world recognition for inventing the world's first applied electric light-bulb with a metal filament (tungsten) with his assistant Alexander Just, independently of his contemporaries.
Franjo Hanaman was born in the village of Drenovci in Slavonia (at the time Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia, Austria-Hungary) to a Croatian family as a second child of father Gjuro Hanaman and Emilija Mandušić.
Hanaman and Just were granted the Hungarian Patent #34541 on December 13, 1904 in Budapest. His invention of tungsten filament was also applied in improving early diodes and triodes.
He died in Zagreb (at the time Kingdom of Yugoslavia).
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Frequently asked questions
Who was Franjo Hanaman?
Croatian engineer and inventor (1878-1941)
When was Franjo Hanaman born?
Franjo Hanaman was born on 20 June 1878 in Drenovci.
When did Franjo Hanaman die?
Franjo Hanaman died on 23 January 1941 in Zagreb.
What was Franjo Hanaman's occupation?
Franjo Hanaman was a chemist, engineer, university teacher and inventor.
What nationality was Franjo Hanaman?
Franjo Hanaman was Yugoslav and Hungarian.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Franjo Hanaman. https://biography.guide/franjo-hanaman/
MLA: "Franjo Hanaman." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/franjo-hanaman/.
Chicago: "Franjo Hanaman." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/franjo-hanaman/.
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