Thomas Edison

Summary

Thomas Edison was an American inventor and businessman. He made groundbreaking inventions in fields such as electric power generation, mass communication, sound recording, and motion pictures. His inventions include the phonograph and an electric light bulb. He also founded the Edison Electric Company, later known as General Electric.

Facts

Thomas Edison was born in 1847 in Milan, Ohio.

Edison left school at the age of twelve and was largely self-taught.

He worked as a telegraph operator, which fueled his interest in invention.

In 1876, Edison established his laboratory in Menlo Park, New Jersey.

He is famous for his inventions in the fields of electric power generation, mass communication, sound recording, and motion pictures.

He invented the phonograph in 1877, enabling sound recording and playback.

The following year, Edison created a practical electric light bulb.

Edison’s inventions also included a movie camera and viewer, a carbon microphone, and an alkaline storage battery.

During the 1880s, he patented a system for electricity distribution.

Edison founded the Edison Electric Company, which later became General Electric.

He held over 1,000 patents for his inventions.

Edison passed away in 1931, at the age of 84.