Traffic Light

Hello there. Have you ever seen me standing tall on a busy street corner, winking my bright colors? I'm a traffic light, and I have a very important job. But before I was around, things were a real mess. Just try to picture it. Horses pulling carriages went clip-clop, clip-clop right next to brand-new cars that sputtered and coughed. Bicycles wobbled in between them, and lots of people tried to scurry across the street, all at the very same time. Horns would honk, horses would neigh, and drivers would shout. It was so noisy and very confusing. Nobody knew when it was their turn to go. It was like a big, jumbled-up party where everyone was trying to dance at once. People really needed a helper to make things orderly and safe, and that's when the idea for me began to sparkle.

My story starts a long, long time ago, across a big ocean in a city called London. My very first ancestor flickered to life on December 9th, 1868. A clever man named John Peake Knight invented this first light. But I wasn't electric like I am today. I was powered by gas, and a police officer had to stand next to me to change my signals. It was a good first try, but it was just the beginning. My real birthday, when I became the electric light you know, was on August 5th, 1914, in a city called Cleveland, in America. I was so excited. I could only shine red and green back then. Red meant 'Stop,' and green meant 'Go.' To make sure everyone was paying attention, I also had a very loud buzzer. It would go 'BZZZZZZT' right before my colors changed. It was a bit startling, but it helped people know that it was time to get ready to stop or go. I was finally starting my important job of making the streets safer for everyone.

Just having red and green was helpful, but it wasn't quite enough. Sometimes, cars would be going fast, and they couldn't stop in time when I suddenly changed from green to red. People needed a little warning, a moment to get ready. That's when another very clever inventor came along to help me. His name was Garrett Morgan. He saw that people needed a 'get ready' signal. He created a wonderful new version of me that had a special warning light. He was so proud of his idea that he got something called a patent for it on November 20th, 1923. This special patent meant that the idea was all his. That warning light was the beginning of my yellow light. Now, when you see me glow yellow, you know it's time to slow down because the red light is coming soon. Mr. Morgan made me so much better and safer. My new golden glow helped prevent accidents and gave drivers and walkers the time they needed to be careful. I felt complete.

Today, I stand on corners all over the world, and I love my job. It's simple, but so important. My red light shines bright and says, 'Stop, everyone. Wait for your turn.' My yellow light gives a warm glow that means, 'Slow down. The light is about to change.' And my green light gives the happy signal, 'It's your turn. Time to go safely.' I feel so proud when I help keep everyone safe. I watch kids walking to school, families driving in their cars, and big city buses full of people. I help all of them get where they need to go without any bumps or messes. So next time you're at a corner, look up and give me a wave. Remember to always watch for my colors. I’ll be there, being a bright and helpful friend for you.