1. Thomas Alva Edison By: Emma and Gillian

2. What Makes Thomas Special/Interesting He invented: Printing Telegraph, Type writing machine, Telephone, Pneumatic Stencil Pens, Electric Lights, Railway Signaling, Electric Meter, and Reversal Galvanic Battery. FROM-http://answers.yahoo.com/ He invented over 1,000 things FROM-Tom Edison’s Bright Ideas by Jack Keller

3. What Kind of Effect he has on the World/Other People He invented the phonograph, which changed the world by letting people listen to music. He invented the light bulb, which changed the world by letting people see inside with electricity (no more candles and water gas lamps). He has done many more things that effect the world, but I can’t fit them all on here.

4. What are the Adj. you Would most use to Describe Tom? Why would you use those? Hardworking – He wanted to invent a working light bulb and he didn’t stop until he made it Imaginative – for the phonograph how would he think of the form and how it works? Creative – he just thought of things and decided to make it. Interesting – you try to figure out how he seems to make these inventions. Intelligent – Tom was smart that’s how he knew how to form them and create them and everything. Inventive – Tom thought very hard to create his inventions. Revered – he was remembered for how amazing and talented he was. Curious – Tom wanted to discover new things. Thoughtful – he wanted to make things happen for people who needed them.

5. What Events Shaped/Changed Thomas’s Life? When he was 8, he always tried to find out the answers to his questions by looking in science books, and in school asked SO many questions. He did experiments, and invented machines. Thomas sold food and newspapers on a train when he was 12. He set up a small laboratory in one of the train cars. Thomas tried new experiments there. Once, he got deaf in train from an injury, and he grew more and more deaf the more he aged.

6. What Obstacles did he Overcome? He became deaf when he was 12ish, and it grew stronger as he got older.

7. Would the World be Better or Worse if he hadn’t lived? Worse, for we would not have the things we have today, and we wouldn’t have electricity at our hands.

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9. Additional Facts On December 25 th, 1871, Thomas Edison married Mary Stilwell, age of 16, who he had met two months earlier because she was a worker at one of his shops. They had 3 kids, named Marion Edison 1873–1965, Thomas Edison, Jr. 1876–1935, and William Edison 1878–1937. Mary died on August 9, 1884, and no one knows why. They believe it was from a brain tumor, or a morphine overdose. Mina died on August 24, 1947. Thomas Edison started his job as an inventor in New Jersey, with the automatic repeater and his other improved telegraphic devices, but the invention that first gained him notice was the phonograph in 1877. This accomplishment was so unexpected by the public at large as to appear almost magical. Edison became known as "The Wizard of Menlo Park," New Jersey. His first phonograph recorded on tinfoil around a grooved cylinder, but had poor sound quality and the recordings could be played only a few times. This was one reason that Thomas Edison continued work on his own "Perfected Phonograph." phonographtinfoilsound quality He played jokes on his boss at his first real job and got fired.