Thomas Edison Biography

Thomas Edison, Inventor
Born asThomas Alva Edison
Occup.Inventor
FromUSA
BornFebruary 11, 1847
Milan, Ohio, U.S.
DiedOctober 18, 1931
West Orange, New Jersey, U.S.
Aged84 years
Thomas Alva Edison was an American inventor and also businessman who is widely regarded as one of the most prominent numbers in the history of technology. He took place to become one of the most respected innovators of perpetuity, holding over 1,000 licenses for his innovations.

Edison is best recognized for his advancement of the useful electric light bulb, which he produced in 1879. This innovation changed the world, as it made it feasible to light up residences and businesses, and it paved the way for the prevalent use electrical energy. Edison's development of the light bulb was simply among numerous innovations he produced, and also he is also known for his deal with the telegraph, the phonograph, and the movie cam.

Along with his contributions to technology, Edison was also a successful businessman, and also he founded numerous companies, including the Edison Electric Light Company and the Motion Picture Patent Company. He was recognized for his vigorous work ethic and his unrelenting pursuit of innovation, as well as he continued to invent as well as produce new products throughout his life.

Generally, Thomas A. Edison was a real visionary, and also he played a major function in shaping the globe we live in today. He is kept in mind as one of the greatest developers of all time, and also his legacy continues to inspire individuals around the world to seek their interests as well as press the boundaries of what is feasible.

Thomas Edison was a real polymath who was constantly checking out originalities as well as technologies. In addition to his work on the electric light bulb, phonograph, as well as movie video camera, he made lots of other significant payments to a vast array of fields. Some of his other significant innovations as well as innovations include:
The telegraph: Edison played a key function in the development of the telegraph, and also he helped to enhance the technology as well as make it more efficient. He also established the very first telegraphic printing system, which permitted messages to be sent and also printed instantly.
The kinetoscope: The kinetoscope was a forerunner of the motion picture video camera, and it was utilized to show short, bent movies to specific visitors. This was just one of the primary steps towards the advancement of the activity image market.
The nickel-iron-alkaline battery: Edison established this kind of battery, which was extra trustworthy as well as efficient than the batteries that were available at the time.
The electric pen: This was a leader of the modern printing press, and it was used to make duplicates of papers.

Edison was likewise recognized for his work as a researcher, as well as he carried out substantial research in areas such as chemistry, physics, and also metallurgy. He was specifically curious about the research of electrical energy and the means maybe harnessed and made use of to power brand-new modern technologies.

Throughout his life, Edison was extremely concerned for his creative thinking, his job values, as well as his steady determination. He faced many troubles and also difficulties along the way, however he never ever forgot his goal of enhancing the globe via his inventions. Today, he is born in mind as one of one of the most innovative as well as influential numbers in the background of technology, and also his heritage remains to influence people all over the world.


Our collection contains 49 quotes who is written / told by Thomas, under the main topics: Business - Friendship - Work.

Related authors: Elbert Hubbard (Writer), Orison Swett Marden (Writer), Nikola Tesla (Inventor), Napoleon Hill (Writer), Lawrence Taylor (Athlete)

Frequently Asked Questions
  • Q: How many inventions did Thomas Edison make?
    A: 1,093 US patents and more globally
  • Q: Where did Thomas Edison live?
    A: Born in Milan, Ohio, lived in Menlo Park & West Orange, New Jersey
  • Q: Thomas Edison Light Bulb
    A: Thomas Edison invented the incandescent light bulb in 1879, changing the world by providing a practical and affordable way to illuminate homes and businesses.
  • Q: Thomas Edison Phonograph
    A: Thomas Edison invented the phonograph in 1877, which was a device used to mechanically record and reproduce sound through a stylus and rotating cylinder.
  • Q: Thomas Edison Movie Camera
    A: Thomas Edison and his assistant, William Dickson, developed the movie camera called the Kinetograph in the 1890s, which captured a series of images on a strip of celluloid film to create motion pictures.
  • Q: Thomas Edison Battery
    A: Thomas Edison developed the nickel-iron battery in 1901, which was a rechargeable battery with a longer life and higher energy density compared to other batteries at that time.
  • Q: How old was Thomas Edison?
    A: He became 84 years old
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49 Famous quotes by Thomas Edison

Small: The value of an idea lies in the using of it
"The value of an idea lies in the using of it"
Small: Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work
"Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work"
Small: I never did anything by accident, nor did any of my inventions come by accident they came by work
"I never did anything by accident, nor did any of my inventions come by accident; they came by work"
Small: Everything comes to him who hustles while he waits
"Everything comes to him who hustles while he waits"
Small: Discontent is the first necessity of progress
"Discontent is the first necessity of progress"
Small: Being busy does not always mean real work. The object of all work is production or accomplishment and t
"Being busy does not always mean real work. The object of all work is production or accomplishment and to either of these ends there must be forethought, system, planning, intelligence, and honest purpose, as well as perspiration. Seeming to do is not doing"
Small: Be courageous. I have seen many depressions in business. Always America has emerged from these stronger
"Be courageous. I have seen many depressions in business. Always America has emerged from these stronger and more prosperous. Be brave as your fathers before you. Have faith! Go forward!"
Small: Anything that wont sell, I dont want to invent. Its sale is proof of utility, and utility is success
"Anything that won't sell, I don't want to invent. Its sale is proof of utility, and utility is success"
Small: I have not failed. Ive just found 10,000 ways that wont work
"I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work"
Small: The three great essentials to achieve anything worth while are: Hard work, Stick-to-itiveness, and Comm
"The three great essentials to achieve anything worth while are: Hard work, Stick-to-itiveness, and Common sense"
Small: The reason a lot of people do not recognize opportunity is because it usually goes around wearing overa
"The reason a lot of people do not recognize opportunity is because it usually goes around wearing overalls looking like hard work"
Small: I never did a days work in my life. It was all fun
"I never did a day's work in my life. It was all fun"
Small: I know this world is ruled by infinite intelligence. Everything that surrounds us- everything that exis
"I know this world is ruled by infinite intelligence. Everything that surrounds us- everything that exists - proves that there are infinite laws behind it. There can be no denying this fact. It is mathematical in its precision"
Small: I have not failed. Ive just found 10,000 ways that wont work
"I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work"
Small: I have friends in overalls whose friendship I would not swap for the favor of the kings of the world
"I have friends in overalls whose friendship I would not swap for the favor of the kings of the world"
Small: I find my greatest pleasure, and so my reward, in the work that precedes what the world calls success
"I find my greatest pleasure, and so my reward, in the work that precedes what the world calls success"
Small: I am proud of the fact that I never invented weapons to kill
"I am proud of the fact that I never invented weapons to kill"
Small: His genius he was quite content in one brief sentence to define Of inspiration one percent, of perspira
"His genius he was quite content in one brief sentence to define; Of inspiration one percent, of perspiration, ninety nine"
Small: Hell, there are no rules here - were trying to accomplish something
"Hell, there are no rules here - we're trying to accomplish something"
Small: Great ideas originate in the muscles
"Great ideas originate in the muscles"
Small: Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration
"Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration"
Small: One might think that the money value of an invention constitutes its reward to the man who loves his wo
"One might think that the money value of an invention constitutes its reward to the man who loves his work. But... I continue to find my greatest pleasure, and so my reward, in the work that precedes what the world calls success"
Small: Non-violence leads to the highest ethics, which is the goal of all evolution. Until we stop harming all
"Non-violence leads to the highest ethics, which is the goal of all evolution. Until we stop harming all other living beings, we are still savages"
Small: Nearly every man who develops an idea works it up to the point where it looks impossible, and then he g
"Nearly every man who develops an idea works it up to the point where it looks impossible, and then he gets discouraged. That's not the place to become discouraged"
Small: Maturity is often more absurd than youth and very frequently is most unjust to youth
"Maturity is often more absurd than youth and very frequently is most unjust to youth"
Small: Many of lifes failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up
"Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up"
Small: Just because something doesnt do what you planned it to do doesnt mean its useless
"Just because something doesn't do what you planned it to do doesn't mean it's useless"
Small: It is astonishing what an effort it seems to be for many people to put their brains definitely and syst
"It is astonishing what an effort it seems to be for many people to put their brains definitely and systematically to work"
Small: If we did all the things we are capable of, we would literally astound ourselves
"If we did all the things we are capable of, we would literally astound ourselves"
Small: I start where the last man left off
"I start where the last man left off"
Small: There is no expedient to which a man will not go to avoid the labor of thinking
"There is no expedient to which a man will not go to avoid the labor of thinking"
Small: There is no substitute for hard work
"There is no substitute for hard work"
Small: The chief function of the body is to carry the brain around
"The chief function of the body is to carry the brain around"
Small: The body is a community made up of its innumerable cells or inhabitants
"The body is a community made up of its innumerable cells or inhabitants"
Small: When I have fully decided that a result is worth getting I go ahead of it and make trial after trial un
"When I have fully decided that a result is worth getting I go ahead of it and make trial after trial until it comes"
Small: What you are will show in what you do
"What you are will show in what you do"
Small: What a mans mind can create, mans character can control
"What a man's mind can create, man's character can control"
Small: We dont know a millionth of one percent about anything
"We don't know a millionth of one percent about anything"
Small: Waste is worse than loss. The time is coming when every person who lays claim to ability will keep the
"Waste is worse than loss. The time is coming when every person who lays claim to ability will keep the question of waste before him constantly. The scope of thrift is limitless"
Small: To my mind the old masters are not art their value is in their scarcity
"To my mind the old masters are not art; their value is in their scarcity"
Small: To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk
"To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk"
Small: To have a great idea, have a lot of them
"To have a great idea, have a lot of them"
Small: They say President Wilson has blundered. Perhaps he has, but I notice he usually blunders forward
"They say President Wilson has blundered. Perhaps he has, but I notice he usually blunders forward"
Small: Theres a way to do it better - find it
"There's a way to do it better - find it"
Small: There will one day spring from the brain of science a machine or force so fearful in its potentialities
"There will one day spring from the brain of science a machine or force so fearful in its potentialities, so absolutely terrifying, that even man, the fighter, who will dare torture and death in order to inflict torture and death, will be appalled, and so abandon war forever"
Small: Results! Why, man, I have gotten a lot of results. I know several thousand things that wont work
"Results! Why, man, I have gotten a lot of results. I know several thousand things that won't work"
Small: Restlessness is discontent and discontent is the first necessity of progress. Show me a thoroughly sati
"Restlessness is discontent and discontent is the first necessity of progress. Show me a thoroughly satisfied man and I will show you a failure"
Small: Religion is all bunk
"Religion is all bunk"
Small: Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more
"Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time"