Thomas Alva Edison was a prolific inventor and a well-known American businessman, with over 1000 patents in his name. Over the course of his lifetime he developed devices that revolutionized life around the world.
The grandson of a Dutch refugee, Edison was born in Milan, Ohio on February 11, 1847. He grew up in Port Huron, Michigan.
Edison wasn’t always considered to be bright. During his early school years, his mind often wandered, and his teacher reported that he seemed addled. Edison’s mother disagreed with the teacher’s negative perception, and assumed the responsibility of educating him at home. It turns out, Edison suffered from hearing problems resulting from a bad case of scarlet fever and untreated middle-ear infections.
An entrepreneur from an early age, Edison started out by selling candy, newspapers, and vegetables on trains. He became a telegraph operator as a young man, a position which gave him the freedom to study and run experiments. His first inventions were a stock ticker and electric vote recorder, both closely related to telegraph technology of the time.
Edison created a system for distributing electrical power, as well as the first industrial research lab. From the electric lightbulb, to sound recording, motion pictures, and battery power, Edison’s work forms the foundation for the technology we take for granted in the modern world.
Historians have coined Edison as a free thinker, as he often apologetically shared his unconventional views on God, science, nature, and philosophy. Numerous colleges, museums, and historical organizations have recognized Edison’s contributions to the world by honoring him with some form of tribute within their institutions.