Note 8 - Acquisition (Details) - Net Gain on Previously Owned Equity (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended			0 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Jan. 15, 2014
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
December 2013 Investment Balance	$ 1,777	$ 5,519
Dividend (1)	(1,704)	(630)	(1,090)
Net investment book balance at 1/15/2014	1,777	5,519
Samsung Corning Precision Materials Co., Ltd. [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
December 2013 Investment Balance		3,709		2,117
Dividend (1)				(1,574)	[1]
Other				(18)
Net investment book balance at 1/15/2014		3,709		2,117
Fair value Samsung Corning Precision Materials				4,038	[2]
57.5% of Samsung Corning Precision Materials (2)				2,323	[2]
Working capital adjustment and other				52
57.5% of the pre-acquisition fair value of assets				2,375
Gain on previously held equity investment (2)				258	[2]
Translation gain				136
Net gain				$ 394

[1] In conjunction with the Framework Agreement, the parties agreed to have Samsung Corning Precision Materials distribute all cash and cash equivalents as a dividend to the shareholders of record as of December 31, 2013. The dividend was not part of the purchase price as the agreement was to distribute cash and cash equivalents as a dividend to the shareholders as soon as practicable. As such, at acquisition Corning did not have legal title to the cash to be distributed, although the dividend was distributed subsequent to the acquisition date. Therefore, the portion of Corning's share of the $1.6 billion dividend received was accounted for in Corning's consolidated financial statements as if the dividend occurred at or immediately prior to the date of acquisition at which time Samsung Corning Precision Materials was still an equity method investment in Corning's consolidated financial statements.

[2] As Corning was a 57.5% shareholder at the date of acquisition, immediately preceding the acquisition of Samsung Corning Precision Materials, Corning recognized an asset and respective gain as part of the calculation of its previously held equity investment which included approximately $184 million attributed to its economic interest in the royalty contract.