The light bulb everyone has heard of but Thomas Edison inventions far exceed just the light bulb. However, even more fascinating than some of his inventions is the story of his life. This post will highlight on some of the great moments (and not so great) in the life of Thomas Edison. In addition a brief description of some of his inventions are included. Here are just a few of Thomas Edison’s inventions:
- Telegraphy
- Telephony
- Phonograph
- Light bulb
- Power System
- Electric Generator
- Motion Picture Camera
Regarding Thomas Edison’s life there are plenty of website dedications and most are written with passion and “awe”. I’m no different except I’m not a writer so I’m going to just list some interesting timeline facts that stood out to me when reading these great stories. A really great source of reading “from the heart” is at www.ThomasEdison.com.
| Date | Fact |
| February 1, 1847 | Born in the United States from Milan, Ohio. He was from a working class middle family & was the last of seven children. He didn’t talk till he was 4 yrs old. |
| 1854 |
Had trouble in school because of his ADD like symptoms but his mom always kept him grounded with her religious beliefs and believed in him. His dad encouraged him to read the classic novels. He greatly enjoyed reading and eventually found Isaac Newton’s ”Principia”. |
| 1860 | He had always had trouble hearing and this limitation forced him to learn on a more individual basis. So combined with his readings, his love to “question everything” and his unique way of “learning” he began deriving his own opinions on just about everything even Newton’s laws. |
| 1861 | Had several different jobs and little businesses such as fruit and vegetable stand and selling newspapers and items for a local railroad. This led him to start his own newspaper business where he gathered news from various sources and published them into “The Weekly Herald” where he had 300 subscribers. This was the first publication to be done via a train. |
| 1862 | With his resources as a “publisher” and his love for his recently Presidential nominated hero, Abraham Lincoln, Edison distributed campaign promotional materials to everyone in arm’s reach. |
| Around 1862 | Thomas earned enough money selling newspapers to create his own chemical experiments laboratory in his home basement. But after his mom got tired of the “smells” coming form the basement he moved them to a locked room in his basement and a locker room on the train he worked on. One day the train hit a bumpy section and a stick of phosphorous ignited. It set the rail car on fire but no one was hurt. The conductor sentenced him to only selling newspapers at the station and not on the train. |
| 1863 | Thomas was working around the train station and noticed a young boy on the tracks. In a brave act of heroism Thomas saved the boy from being hit by a train. Out of gratitude the boy’s father taught Thomas how to use a telegraph machine. That is the equivalent today of getting a phD in computers. Very rare and he took advantage of it and appreciated the opportunity. |
| 1863 to 1868 | His knowledge of the telegraph machine allowed him to work as a brass pounder and replace a person who went off to the Civil War. This provided him the chance to travel and also work in various offices. Through this experience he created the “automatic repeater,” it transmitted telegraph signals between unmanned stations, allowing virtually anyone to easily and accurately translate code at their own speed and convenience. He never patented the initial version of this idea. |
| 1868 to 1874 | When Tom traveled back home he noticed his parents had been living in very poor circumstances while he was a traveling telegrapher. He realized quickly he needed to mature and do something for his parents and for himself. He took a job with western Union in Boston. Around this time he also got his his 1st patent for the voting machine. However, nobody wanted it and this is when he decided he would only invent things from now on that people would buy. Thomas also affiliated himself with popular folks such as Benjamin Bredding and Alexander Graham Bell. |
| 1874 to 1891 | These were the years where his patents really took to life. He was in constant competition with Alexander Graham Bell to create the first phone. However, Bell beat him to it. So not to be out done, Edison invented the incandescent light bulb. He also created some of the first research and development centers. |
| 1892 to 1931 | This was when General Electric was founded. Around this time frame Edison also worked with government on military inventions that worked with navy ships and submarines. When his health started to fade around 1920 he mostly worked at home but had visitors often stop by such as Charles Lindbergh, Herbert Hoover and Henry Ford. He passed away in 1931 but not before having a “spiritual moment” with his wife who so lovingly took care of him. |
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Did you know this about Thomas Edison?
- He had a total of 1,093 patents.
- He enjoyed birds so much that he actually had a aviary of 5,000 flying creatures.
- Could have fixed his hearing problem at an early age but was afraid of changing the way his mind worked that had allowed him to adapt to his situation.
- Felt that Isaac Newton’s “Principia” was too complicated for the average person. He always respected the “great ones” that came before him but had a problem with the complexities of how they often explained theories for everyone else.
- He didn’t learn to talk till he was 4.
- His last patent was obtained at age 83.
- He created the largest research and development center in the world.
Be courageous. I have seen many depressions in business. Always America has emerged from these stronger and more prosperous. Be brave as your fathers before you. Have faith! Go forward!
~Thomas Edison
Great blgo. Lot of inventions You have. Keep writting.
Maybe You heard about invention from my country ? http://anglopolish.com/index.php/archive/15-news-from-poland/178-cyber-fish-underwater-polish-invention