Thomas Edison

Thomas Alva Edison (February 11, 1847 – October 18, 1931) was an American inventor and businessman whose work helped shape modern electrical and communications technology. Born in Milan, Ohio, and raised in Michigan, he had little formal schooling and began working at a young age. As a child he became deaf, and he educated himself largely through reading and experimentation.

Edison started his career as a telegraph operator, where he developed improvements to telegraph systems, including devices for duplex and quadruplex transmission. By the late 1860s he had moved to New York City, sold early inventions, and established a laboratory and factory in Newark, New Jersey. He later founded what is often regarded as the first industrial research laboratory at Menlo Park, New Jersey, and later worked at West Orange, New Jersey. His laboratory staff worked under intense pressure, and Edison himself was known for relentless experimentation.

Among his best-known inventions were the phonograph, the carbon telephone transmitter, improved incandescent lamp filaments, and practical advances toward the cinematograph. His work on electric lighting contributed to the development of modern electrical distribution systems and to the rise of General Electric after competition with Westinghouse over alternating-current systems.

Edison registered 1,093 patents during his lifetime. He also founded or supported businesses in mining, cement, batteries, motion pictures, and chemical production. He was twice married and had six children. He remained active in invention and business until his death in 1931.