1847-1931

American Inventor

Thomas Alva Edison is perhaps the most famous inventor in American history. He held a world record 1,093 patents for inventions such as the incandescent electric lamp, the phonograph, and the motion-picture projector. Edison also played a pivotal role in bringing the modern age of electricity to the world.

As a child, Edison developed hearing problems that left him partially deaf. He attended school on and off for five years, but he had difficulty hearing and his teachers considered him slow. To compensate, Edison became an avid and inquisitive reader.

Edison quit school at age 12, and took a job selling newspapers and snacks on the railroad. By that time, the rail line was using a telegraph to control the movements of its trains. Edison learned how to use the telegraph and in 1863 became an apprentice telegrapher, replacing one of many operators who...