1. Thomas Alva Edison

2. ÞBorn Feb. 11, 1847 ÞMilan, Ohio ÞYoungest of 7 Children ÞHome tutored by mother ÞThree months of formal schooling ÞHad his own chemical lab at age 11

3. Jobs Held ÞProgress hindered ÞDeaf in one ear ÞFirst job at 12 ÞNews boy ÞMoved to Boston to work for Western Union ÞWorked 20-24 hr. days to build lab. ÞMenlo Park, NJ

4. Significant Inventions ÞPractical Light Bulb ÞElectric Generating System ÞPhonograph ÞMotion Picture Projector ÞStock Ticker Þ46 patents ÞImprovements of stock tickers ÞDuplex Telegraphy

5. Telephone Transmitter ÞFirst major work in Menlo Park ÞMore practical than Bell’s telephone ÞTransmitter used carbon microphone ÞConnected to a series of batteries ÞProduced a stronger signal ÞCould carry messages clearly Þ107 miles

6. Phonograph ÞRecorded sound mechanically Þtin foil cylinder ÞSuggested uses Þdictation for letter writing Þphonographic books for the blind Þreproducing music Þstudy of language and educational purposes Þ1888 ÞDisc instead of a cylinder

7. Kinetoscope ÞProduced motion pictures ÞRapid succession of individual views ÞFirst commercial motion picture in 1891 ÞTalking motion pictures in 1913 ÞSyncronized phonograph & kinetoscope ÞNew form of entertainment.

8. Incandescant Carbon Lamp ÞJ.W. Swan patened one earlier ÞIt was not practical ÞSwan and Edison got together ÞNamed the lamp the “Ediswan”. ÞFinished it in 1879

9. Carbon Filaments ÞStarted with carbonized cotton ÞDid not last long. ÞExperimented with vegetable fibers ÞSix thousand different types ÞDiscovered that bamboo gave the most durable filament. ÞDesigned an efficient vaccum pump to extract air from the bulb.

10. Edison Electric Light Company Þ1878 ÞPaid Edison for all his electric light inventions for the next five years. Þ1889 ÞEELC merged with Edison Lamp Company, Edison Machine Works, and others to form the Edison General Electric Company (G E). ÞHe eventually surrendered his control over the industry that he had created.

11. Less Known Inventions ÞAlkaline storage batteries ÞContributed to the development of manufacturing processes. ÞDesigned plants for manufacturing Benzine, Carbolic Acid & Analine Derivatives during WW I. ÞInvented electric pen that formed stencils ÞMimeograph and paraffin papers

12. Patents ÞAbout 200 were concerned with telegraphs and telephones. ÞSeveral hundred evolved from the incandescent electric lamp. ÞSome for central electric power system. ÞDesigns for phonographs and phonograph records. ÞA number were attributed to the stock tickers

13. Other Achievements ÞHelped invent the Sims-Edison torpedo ÞHad two labs: West orange, New Jersey and one in Menlo Park ÞFounded the Edison Portland Cement Company ÞDiscovered the Edison effect while working on his light. ÞHad implications for modern electronics.

14. ÞThomas A. Edison had over 1000 patents. ÞHis work greatly effected the Technological advancement not only of his time, but of ours as well! Summary