Thomas Alva Edison was a prolific American inventor and businessman, best known for his contributions to the development of the electric light bulb and the phonograph. Here are some key points about him:
Inventions: Edison held over 1,000 patents for his inventions. Among his most notable creations are the phonograph (1877), the incandescent light bulb (1879), and the motion picture camera (1891).
Electric Light Bulb: His work on the incandescent light bulb was groundbreaking. While he didn’t invent the concept of electric light, he developed a practical, long-lasting bulb that could be used commercially.
Inventor’s Workshop: Edison established the world’s first industrial research laboratory in Menlo Park, New Jersey, where he and his team worked on numerous inventions. This facility became a model for research laboratories worldwide.
Business Acumen: He wasn’t just an inventor; Edison was also a savvy businessman. He founded General Electric (GE) in 1890, which grew to become one of the largest and most influential companies in the world.
Impact on Society: His inventions significantly impacted modern life. Electric lighting transformed homes and cities, the phonograph revolutionized audio communication, and his contributions to motion pictures laid the groundwork for the film industry.
Work Ethic: Edison was known for his incredible work ethic and persistence. He famously said, “Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.”
Legacy: His legacy as one of the greatest inventors in history is well-established. He not only revolutionized technology but also changed the way people live and communicate.
Later Life: Edison continued inventing and working until his death in 1931. Despite some controversies and criticisms of his methods, his impact on the world remains undeniable.
Edison’s innovative spirit and dedication to improving technology left an indelible mark on the world, and his legacy continues to inspire inventors and entrepreneurs today.
1 Who is Thomas Edison? || Biography of Thomas Edison
1 mrt 2018 It Starts With Literacy
Who was Thomas Alva Edison? He was an American inventor and innovator, who held over a thousand patents for gadgets and life-improving inventions. These included the electric lightbulb, the phonograph, and a large number of improvements to the telegraph.
In this video, we trace the story of Edison’s life, from his humble beginnings as a poor home-schooled child with hearing loss, to his entrepreneurial adolescence, to his almost unbelievable success as an researcher, engineer, innovator, and inventor.
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2 Thomas Edison: America’s Greatest Inventor | Biography Documentary
This vintage film – originally titled as “The Story of Thomas A. Edison” – is a biography documentary about America’s greatest inventor, Thomas Alva Edison. It was produced and directed by Academy Award-winning documentary filmmaker Robert Snyder (1916 – 2004), and distributed by the U.S. Information Service (USIS). Although the exact date is unknown, we can confidently say that the film was produced between 1953 and 1984. Edison was voiced by American actor Sam Raskyn (1911–1984).
Edison appears in the film from 25:14. We can see him talking to people, working in his laboratory, listening music and hiking with his good friends: Henry Ford, the founder of the Ford Motor Company, Harvey S. Firestone, the founder of the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company, and John Burroughs, the naturalist.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND / CONTEXT
Thomas Alva Edison (February 11, 1847 – October 18, 1931) was an American inventor and businessman, who has been described as America’s greatest inventor. He developed many devices that greatly influenced life around the world, including the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and the long-lasting, practical electric light bulb. Dubbed “The Wizard of Menlo Park”, he was one of the first inventors to apply the principles of mass production and large-scale teamwork to the process of invention, and is often credited with the creation of the first industrial research laboratory.
Edison was a prolific inventor, holding 1,093 US patents in his name, as well as many patents in the United Kingdom, France, and Germany. More significant than the number of Edison’s patents was the widespread impact of his inventions: electric light and power utilities, sound recording, and motion pictures all established major new industries worldwide. Edison’s inventions contributed to mass communication and, in particular, telecommunications. These included a stock ticker, a mechanical vote recorder, a battery for an electric car, electrical power, recorded music and motion pictures. His advanced work in these fields was an outgrowth of his early career as a telegraph operator. Edison developed a system of electric-power generation and distribution to homes, businesses, and factories – a crucial development in the modern industrialized world. His first power station was on Pearl Street in Manhattan, New York.
3 The Story of Thomas A. Edison
13 jun 2016
The Story of Thomas A. Edison
From the 1991 series “Famous Americans of the 20th Century,” produced by Hearst Entertainment and distributed by Questar Video, Inc.
ISBN 0-927992-53-1
From the box: “Live action footage capturing the life of Thomas Alva Edison, the inventor of the movie camera.
Thomas Alva Edison was born on February 11, 1847, in Milan, Ohio, into a world eager for new ways to release man from toil and tedium. During his life, Edison would give man the incandescent light, motion picture camera, phonograph, microphone, carbon telephone transmitter (which made Alexander Graham Bell’s telephone commercially practical), and more than 1,000 other inventions. Edison’s formal schooling was short, but he was inquisitive. His knowledge was acquired by independent study and training. At 11, he had his own chemical laboratory and had read Gibbon’s Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire, Sear’s History of the World, Burton’s Anatomy of Melancholy, and the Dictionary of Sciences. At 12, he had his first job as a newsboy on the Grand Trunk Railroad. At 13, he suffered hearing loss which would be permanent. During this period a dramatic event changed his life. He saved a station agent’s child from sure death by a moving freight car. The grateful father taught Edison telegraphy which inspired his interest in electricity, a word that would be associated with the name Edison forever. Edison travelled to Boston, working for Western Union. His first invention, a ballot counter, earned him nothing. Edison’s second invention, the Universal Stock Printer, earned him $40,000. He used the funds to open a factory in Newark, New Jersey, in 1870. Working 20 to 24 days, Edison built Menlo Park laboratories to devote more time to invention. The phonograph was Edison’s favorite and probably most original invention. Edison worked long and hard on the incandescent electric lamp. It burned brightly for the first time on October 21, 1879. Edison also believed that motion could be captured by a camera that would take repeated pictures in high speed, and on October 6, 1889, experimental motion pictures were projected; the first commercial picture was shown five years later on April 4, 1894. Edison then developed the fluoroscope and the alkaline storage battery. During WWI, Edison headed the Naval Consulting Board. His friend, Henry Ford, believed Edison to be the greatest genius the world had ever known. Edison died on October 18, 1931, at 84.”
4 The Dark Side of Thomas Edison
5 This Will Change the Way You View Edison
7 The BRILLIANT Mind of Thomas Edison
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8 Thomas Alva Edison Biography in English
9 Front Yard Funeral Prank
That’s right folks, Just For Laughs is now delivering Gags right to your front door! In this particular prank, a priest and a few mourners show up in people’s front yard and perform a full funeral complete with tombstone, grave and flowers.