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Thomas Edison is Born
Thomas Alva Edison was born to Nancy Matthews Elliott and Samuel Ogden Edison, Jr on 11th February, 1847 in Milan, Ohio, United States. Thomas’ parents were really happy to have him! Some say that he was named after his father.
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Thomas Edison’s Early Childhood
Thomas Edison had an interesting childhood, but unfortunately he had hearing loss at an early age. He thought it might be due to the Scarlet fever that he had developed after his birth. But that did not stop him from learning as he was a very imaginative and curious child. Even though he didn’t perform well in school, perhaps due to hearing loss, his mother educated him at home. As a teacher, she taught him reading, writing and math.
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Thomas Edison’s Teenage Life
As a teenager, Thomas did not go to school like other kids, but began his career as a news butcher and by the age of 13 he was able to make $50 a week profit. Soon after that, at the age of 15 in 1862, Thomas became a telegraph operator. At that time, telegraphy was one of the most important communication systems. Gladly, Thomas was good at that. He loved telegraphic instruments, and developed several improvements for them too.
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Edison's Rise In Career
Edison shifted to New York City where he partnered up with Frank L. Pope, an electrical expert to produce the Edison Universal Stock Printer and other company's too. During 1870 and 1875, Edison worked out of Newark and New Jersey, during which he was involved in partnerships and transactions inside the telegraph industry. He improved the automatic telegraph and the quadruplex which resulted in Edison's salary to be at $100,000. Britannica -
Edison's Financial Life And Menlo Park
Edison married Mary Stilwell in 1871 and within 4 years, due to financial crisis, Edison built a lab, with the help of his father, in rural Menlo Park. Here, he worked on an underwater cable for the automatic telegraph. After this, in 1877, he also began working on a pressure relay that improved the audibility of the telephone. By the end of the year, Edison developed the carbon-button transmitter, later used in telephone speakers and microphones.
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Edison's Invention - The Phonograph
Edison invented made few discoveries by accident, and one such was the phonograph in 1877, which was his most original discovery. Edison wanted to make it in such a way that sound could be graphically recorded, creating a shorthand type shape. To his astonishment, it worked and the indentations generated a repetition of sound when the paper was pulled back. Edison also unveiled the tinfoil phonograph in December, which amazed all.
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The Electric Light Bulb - Edison's Greatest Idea
Those days, people used gaslights, but Edison came up with a new idea, which was safe and inexpensive. It was the electric light bulb. As Edison's previous inventions were successful, financiers established the Edison Electric Light Company and gave him $30,000 for research. Edison wanted to connect his lights in a parallel circuit by subdividing the current, so the failure of one light would not fail the whole circuit. Edison's idea was a breakthrough.History -
Edison's Greatest Invention - The Electric Light Bulb
In the late 19th century, Thomas Edison, supported by Francis Upton, developed the incandescent light bulb. Through experimenting, they discovered a stable carbon filament, leading to the first commercial system in 1881. Edison patented the light bulb known as the "Edison effect", involving electron emission in a vacuum, laid the groundwork for the electronics industry, revolutionizing electric lighting.
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The Edison Laboratory
Edison had moved to New York City, when he finished his power system work. But in 1884, he lost his wife and remarried Mina Miller in 1886. During that time, Edison's focus moved to diverse inventions like the alkaline battery. Despite struggles, he excelled motion pictures with the Kinetoscope and made a relationship with Henry Ford. His magnetic venture faced problems, leading to financial challenges. Despite setbacks, Edison did not give up inventing.
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Edison's Legacy
Thomas Edison's career is showcased in his 1,093 patents, from the electric light bulb to the telegraph. He innovated through experiments, managing a productive establishment despite challenge. His positivity drove major projects and innovation, earning him recognition as one of history's greatest inventors. Even after his passing on October 18, 1931, at 84, he remained the greatest inventor and the father of technology for his groundbreaking inventions.
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