Thomas Edison Essay

Thomas Alva Edison is a man of creativity and innovative thinking. According to Patricia Daniels, author of Thomas Edison, “Thomas Edison is regarded as one of history's most influential inventors, whose contributions to the modern era transformed the lives of people the world over.” Throughout his life span, he managed to achieve over 1,300 patents. A world record, no man could possibly break in their lifetime. From his early life, establishment of Menlo Park Laboratory, to inventing the phonograph and modernizing the first incandescent light bulb, via later years, he is sure the “Wizard of Menlo Park.”

Thomas Edison’s early life was filled with downfalls and achievements. He was born on February 11th, 1847, in Milan, Ohio to Samuel and Nancy Edison (Endersby 1). The last child of 7 siblings to survive until adulthood. They lived in Ohio prior to moving towards Port Huron, Michigan in 1854 after his father's lumber business failed. Edison was a sickly child throughout his childhood years. It was not until his family relocated when he began school at the age of 8 years old. He attended a private school called Reverend G.B. Engle. After 3 months, his mother Nancy took him out of school because the teacher called him “addled” meaning a slow learner. From that point on she educated him at home only after he accepted a job selling newspapers and candy to passengers on the Grand Trunk Railroad in 1859 (Endersby 1). While working there he set up his first laboratory for experimenting and a printing press called the Grand Trunk Herald. One day while experimenting in the laboratory, a fire broke out causing him to discontinue working there. This tragic event almost caused him to become deaf due a conductor boxing his ears. Yet it did n...

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...e the ones in West Orange Laboratory. One experiment that got him going prior to his death was searching for an alternative to rubber for Henry Ford. During his last 2 years of living Thomas Edison was in deep critical condition. Then on October 18th, 1941 in his New Jersey home, Thomas Edison died at 9 pm. His very last words were “It’s very beautiful over there” , said to his wife Mina.

Thomas Alva Edison revolutionized the world like no other person. His inventions impacted countries profoundly to become more modern. He started of with the establishment of Menlo Park Laboratory, to inventing the first phonograph, improving the Incandescent Light Bulb, and creating new inventions all the way until his later years. It is a tragedy when a mongul like Thomas Edison passes away. Yet the “The Wizard of Menlo Park” does not exist, his legend will forever exist.