THE LEGACYOF

THOMAS ALVA EDISON

(1847-1931)

Early life

• born on Feb 11,1847 in Milan, Ohio, and grew up in Port Huron, Michigan,USA.

• Parents are samuel edison(1804-1892), nancy edison(1810-1870).• Ethnicity- Dutch.• Education- three months of formal schooling, homeschooled by his mother.• Early occupation- sold newspapers, sweets in trains.

Early influences:• “School of Natural philosophy” by R.G.parker,

• “ The Cooper Union”,

• “The Age of reason” by Thomas paine.

• His mother nancy, edison called his mother “… was the making of me... [because] she was always so true

and so sure of me... And always made me feel I had someone to live for and must not disappoint.”

• Libraries.

Telegraphy

• Learnt telegraphy when he saved the son of a railway station master J MacKenzie.• Constructed his own telegraph machine.• Worked as a telegraph operator at stratford on

the “Grand trunk railway”.• First mentor – Franklin leonard pope, Newjersey.

First patent:• 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.

• Some of Edison's earliest inventions were related to telegraphy, including a stock ticker.

• Edison’s first patent was “electric vote recorder”, (U. S. Patent 90,646) granted on

june 1st ,1869

Marriages and children:• Edison married twice, first wife – Mary stillwell, children - Marion Estelle Edison (1873–1965) Thomas Alva Edison, Jr. (1876–1935) William Leslie Edison (1878–1937) Second wife - Mina Miller, children - Madeleine Edison (1888–1979) Charles Edison (1890–1969) Theodore Edison (1898–1992)

Phonograph:• The invention which first gained him fame was

the phonograph in 1877.• Edison became known as "The Wizard of

Menlo Park,"

First industrial research lab:• Edison's major innovation was the first industrial

research lab, which was built in Menlo Park, New Jersey.

• It was built with the funds from the sale of Edison's quadruplex telegraph.

• William J. Hammer was his first assistant.• He assisted in experiments on

the telephone, phonograph, electric railway, iron ore separator, electric lighting, and other developing inventions.

Menlo park research lab:

THE ELECTRIC BULB:• After many experiments with platinum and

other metal filaments,edison finally invented electric bulb with carbon filament in 1879.• The first successful test was on October 22,

1879; it lasted 40 hours.• Edison got US patent 223828 in 1880.• In 1878, Edison formed the ”Edison Electric Light Company” in New York City.

Electric power distribution:

• Edison patented a system for electricity distribution in 1880, which was essential to capitalize on the invention of the electric lamp.

• On December 17, 1880, Edison founded the Edison Illuminating Company.

• The company established the first investor-owned electric utility in 1882 on Pearl Street Station, New York.

The KINETOSCOPE:• The key to Edison's fortunes was

telegraphy.• The Kinetoscope was an early motion

picture exhibition device.• First described in conceptual terms by

U.S. inventor Thomas Edison in 1888.• Edison introduced the Kinetophone,

which joined the Kinetoscope with a cylinder phonograph.

• Major contribution to media evolution.

Other inventions:

• Webermeter.• Carbonizer.• Magnetic Separator• Electro-Magnetic Brake• Vacuum-Pump• Telephone• Shafting• Galvanized battery• And many others………

GENERAL ELECTRICALS:

• EDISON founded GENERAL ELECTRICALS company in 1878.

VIEWS OF EDISON:

• Edison was a freethinker,naturologist.• He accepted nature as the god.• Edison turned into a vegetarian.• He worked for US navy,a ship was named after him.

Late years:

• Edison died on october 18,1931 in west orange,with ongoing research.

Acknowledgement:

• Google.com• Wikipedia,• Thomasedison.com

And many others…………….