Who is Thomas Edison

1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic by 8 people | Log in to rate

Ranked #2,124 in Animals, #48,513 overall

Thomas Alva Edison, Inventor

Although born in Ohio, Thomas Edison spent much of his later life in New Jersey. Edison is famous for his work with telegraphy, phonographs, the incandescent light bulb, and the kinetoscope, the first motion picture camera. He is shown here in his laboratory in West Orange, New Jersey, at the turn of the century. See, Thomas Edison.

About Thomas Edison 

Thomas Alva Edison (February 11, 1847 - October 18, 1931) was an American inventor and businessman who developed many devices that greatly influenced life around the world, including the phonograph and a long lasting light bulb. Dubbed "The Wizard of Menlo Park" by a newspaper reporter, he was one of the first inventors to apply the principles of mass production to the process of invention, and therefore is often credited with the creation of the first industrial research laboratory. Edison is considered one of the most prolific inventors in history, holding 1,093 U.S. patents in his name, as well as many patents in the United Kingdom, France and Germany.

Thomas Edison was born in Milan, Ohio and was raised in Port Huron, Michigan. He was the seventh and last child of Samuel Ogden Edison, Jr. and Nancy Matthews Edison nee Elliott. His family was of Dutch origin.

In school, the young Edison's mind often wandered, and his teacher the Reverend Engle was overheard calling him "addled." This ended Edison's three months of official schooling. He recalled later, "My mother was the making of me. She was so true, so sure of me; and I felt I had something to live for, someone I must not disappoint." His mother then home schooled him. Much of his education came from reading R.G. Parker's School of Natural Philosophy.

The cause of Edison's deafness has been attributed to a bout of scarlet fever during childhood and recurring untreated middle ear infections. Edison around the middle of his career attributed the hearing loss to being struck on the ears by a train conductor when his chemical lab in a boxcar caught fire. In his later years he modified the story to say the injury occurred when the conductor, in helping him onto a moving train, lifted him by the ears.

Edison's family was asked to move to Port Huron, Michigan when the railroad bypassed Milan, but his life there was bittersweet. This began Edison's long streak of entrepreneurial ventures as he discovered his talents as a businessman. Talents that would eventually lead him to found General Electric, which is still a publicly traded company, and 13 other companies. He sold candy and newspapers on trains running from Port Huron to Detroit, as well as vegetables that he sold to supplement his income. For more, see Wikipedia, Thomas Edison.

Thomas Edison on Flickr 

Revolutionary Technology (according to Thomas Edison) by Jimee, Jackie, Tom & Asha

curated content from Flickr

P.S. If you buy something from this page... 

Acumen FundSave The Children... you'll automatically be making a donation to Save The Children, working to solve global poverty. As a matter of fact, all of our lenses donate to Save The Children or The Acumen Fund.

Doesn't that feel good?

We Squidoo for charity! One of the coolest things about Squidoo is the opportunity provided for lensmasters designate all or part of their proceeds to charity. Consider creating a lens today for a charitable cause.

Great Thomas Edison stuff from Amazon 

Thomas Edison: Young Inventor (Childhood of Famous Americans Series.)

Amazon Price: $5.99 (as of 12/17/2009) Buy Now

Thomas Edison for Kids: His Life and Ideas, 21 Activities (For Kids series)

Amazon Price: $10.17 (as of 12/17/2009) Buy Now

The Thomas Edison Book of Easy and Incredible Experiments (Wiley Science Editions)

Amazon Price: $11.66 (as of 12/17/2009) Buy Now

At Work With Thomas Edison

Amazon Price: (as of 12/17/2009) Buy Now

 

Young Thomas Edison

Amazon Price: $16.95 (as of 12/17/2009) Buy Now

Time For Kids: Thomas Edison: A Brilliant Inventor

Amazon Price: $3.99 (as of 12/17/2009) Buy Now

 

1890 Edison Light Bulb 40 Watt

Amazon Price: $14.99 (as of 12/17/2009) Buy Now

1893 Edison Light Bulb 40 Watt

Amazon Price: $14.99 (as of 12/17/2009) Buy Now

Edison - The Invention of the Movies (1891-1918)

Amazon Price: $89.99 (as of 12/17/2009) Buy Now

Famous Americans: Story of Thomas a Edison [VHS]

Amazon Price: (as of 12/17/2009) Buy Now

Thomas Edison

Amazon Price: $29.95 (as of 12/17/2009) Buy Now

Thomas Edison Classic Video 

Thomas Edison

16mm film of Tomas Edison

Runtime: 80
40634 views
99 Comments:

curated content from YouTube

Thomas Edison School Project Video 

Thomas Edison

My physics project over Thomas Edison please also check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxmKQhoaG0c for further reference.

Runtime: 251
38737 views
91 Comments:

curated content from YouTube

Quick, what do you think of Thomas Edison? 

Loading poll. Please Wait...

The Latest Google News on Thomas Edison 

Loading Fetching RSS feed... please stand by

Are you in the Thomas Edison Fan Club? 

Another Quality Lens By Joe and Colleen Lane!

You do not need a Squidoo account to leave feedback, however,
consider signing up today and creating your first lens! It's a hoot!

submit

Just Another Kool Lens by Team Lane... 

...Joe and Colleen Lane ~ SemperFidelis

SemperFidelis' Latest and/or Greatest 

SquidooRecycling | World Vision | Flipping Real Estate | Jesus Christ Images | Carrie Underwood | Lizzie Stanton | Olevia 747i LCD HDTV | Muhammad Ali | Best Real Estate Websites | Greatest Real Estate Agent In The World | Real Estate Closing | Hillary Duff | Shih Huang Ti | Ford Mustang | Herbert Hoover | Bible Study Fellowship | Aaliyah | How To Hire A Woman | Save The Children | Christmas Forums | Mike Huckabee | Buy Wii Online | Maria Sharapova | Weirdest Photo Ever | Acumen Fund | Evel Knievel | Mother Teresa | Squid Angel | Michael Jordan | Traffic From Image Searches | Free Squidoo Images | Squidoo How-To Reference | Squidoo Lens Candy | How To Prt Scr | Michael Jordan | Maria Sharapova PowerShot Videos | Focus On The Family | Colleen Lane

Consider Joining One (or all) Of Our Groups Today:

by SemperFidelis

Join this fan club | Colleen Lane on Twitter | Colleen Lane on Facebook | Colleen Lane LinkedIn

"A Dad, Mom, 5 kids, and we're haven' fun!" Squidoo'...

(more)

Explore related pages

SemperFidelis Recommends...

Create a Lens!