In Milan,
Ohio on February 11, 1847, someone was born, who was
not just an ordinary person. This someone was named
Thomas Alva Edison. He would just do anything to
invent something. Whatever it took he did it. When he
got an idea he would not give up. The phonograph, the
light bulb, the movie camera, and sewing machine are
just some of his many inventions that helped change
the world.
Thomas did not go
to school although he was a great reader. His mom
tutored him at home. When he was twelve he got his
first job at the train station as a train boy selling
candy and newspapers. Books were so important to him
that he spent all his money on them. One day while
trying to catch a train a trainman reached and grabbed
him by the ears. While pulling Edison up, something
cracked in his ears and right after that he began to
go deaf.
In 1871, Thomas
Edison married Mary Stilwell. Thomas and Mary had a
couple of kids together. Thirteen years later she
died, and in 1886 he married Mina Miller.
When Thomas had
made enough money he wanted to buy a laboratory in
Menlo Park, New Jersey. He paid a group of scientist
to think of inventions and see if the inventions would
work. That setup worked so well other companies did
this too. Now today every company and university in
the whole world has a research department, and it all
began with Edison's group in Menlo Park.
He is most famous
for the invention of the electric light bulb also
known as the incandescent lamp {in-kandes'-ent}. He
had burned himself with candles so many times, he
wanted a way to see without a candle. In 1878 he began
experimenting and it took him just over a year to
invent a practical light bulb. Edison founded the
Electric Light Company in 1878.
In his 70's he
still worked sixteen hours a day, and was one of the
most famous men in America. By the time he died at
West Orange, New Jersey on October 18, 1931 he had
created over 1000 inventions.
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