Luxor Phenomenon

[ndgo]

I'm not a bulb person at all, but I have a bulb scenario/question:
 
In November of 1995, I moved into my current residence. There was a light bulb hanging from a ceiling fixture that I noted was older and marked with paint. Skip forward to July 6, 2009: That light bulb finally went out.
 
I am very, very curious as to how this bulb could have lasted 14+ years. The bulb in question hung at the ceiling at the entrance to my apartment and has been used daily for all these years. From what I can read at the tip of the bulb, it is a Luxor 125-130v Wattsaver 135 AT(?)

Does anyone have any information, at all, about this phenomenon? This bulb?

Thanks.

[adam2]

Incandescent lamps can be designed to have a very long lifetime indeed, by reducing the operating temperature of the filament.
This however results in an appreciably lower effeciency, and is advised against owing to the waste of electrcicity.

One well known lamp company makes incandescent lamps rated at 16,000 hours, that could be 14 years with a few hours use a day.

The lamp to which your refer would appear to be designed for 125/130 volts, and would have a considerably extended life on a 120 volt supply.
If the supply was only 110 volts then the lamp life would be very much greater.

And of course an average life means that some lamps will fail early and that others may last far longer than the average lifetime.