- Thomas Alva Edison demonstrating his tinfoil phonograph, photograph by Mathew Brady, 1878.
(1847–1931). One of the world's greatest inventors, Thomas Edison was called a “wizard” because of his many important inventions. Edison received a record 1,093 patents for devices he invented on his own or with others. His best-known inventions include the phonograph, the light bulb, and the motion-picture projector. Edison also created the first power station in the United States, in 1882. Early yearsThomas Alva Edison was born on February 11, 1847, in Milan, Ohio. He experienced hearing loss at an early age. In 1854 his family moved to Port Huron, Michigan, where Thomas began to attend school. He was imaginative and curious. However, he did poorly in school, perhaps because he could not hear his teacher. His mother then educated him at home. Thomas loved to read. He also spent hours experimenting with chemicals in his home laboratory. When Thomas was 12 years old, he began working on a train selling newspapers. Within a few years he became a telegraph operator. At that time telegraphy was one of the nation's most important communication systems. Thomas was good at sending and taking messages in Morse code. He loved tinkering with telegraphic instruments, and he developed several improvements for them. By early 1869 he had quit his telegraphy job to become a full-time inventor. A life of inventionEdison gradually built up his business as an inventor. When he earned money from an invention, he used it to work on a new invention or business. Not all of his inventions were made easily. He worked hard with scientists and other partners to finish projects. He built research laboratories at Menlo Park and West Orange, New Jersey, so that many talented people could work together. Some inventions took years to complete, and sometimes they failed even after all that hard work. Edison created companies that produced and sold the successful inventions. Although most of his life was devoted to his work, Edison's family was also important to him. He married twice and had six children. Edison died on October 18, 1931. After his death, Edison's West Orange laboratory and his nearby home were designated a national historic site. The laboratory includes his library, papers, and early models of many of his inventions. |