Thomas Edison
Prolific American inventor of the phonograph, practical light bulb and motion-picture camera
- Lived
- 84 yrs
- 1847 – 1931
- Works listed
- 3
- Invention
- Honours
- 3
- Most recent 1928
- Profile views
- 0
- 0 followers
Thomas Edison was an American inventor and businessman who held more than 1,000 US patents. He invented the phonograph, developed a practical incandescent light bulb and electric power system, and his laboratories contributed to motion pictures. His Menlo Park lab is often called the first industrial research laboratory.
Biography
Early life
Edison had little formal schooling and was taught mainly by his mother. As a teenager he sold newspapers on trains and became a telegraph operator, which led to his first inventions.
Menlo Park
In 1876 he set up a laboratory in Menlo Park, New Jersey, employing teams of researchers. In 1877 he invented the phonograph, the first machine to record and play back sound, which made him famous as “the Wizard of Menlo Park”.
Light and power
In 1879 his team produced a long-lasting carbon-filament light bulb. More importantly, Edison created a full system — generators, wiring and meters — and in 1882 opened the Pearl Street Station in New York. His companies merged in 1892 to form General Electric.
Film and later work
His lab developed the Kinetoscope motion-picture viewer, and he worked on batteries, cement and rubber. He lost the “war of the currents” to AC. He died in 1931 at his home in New Jersey.
Timeline
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1847
Born in Milan, Ohio, United States
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1869
First patent, an electric vote recorder
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1876
Opens Menlo Park laboratory
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1877
Invents the phonograph
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1879
Long-lasting light bulb
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1882
Pearl Street power station
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1887
West Orange laboratory
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1892
General Electric formed
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1931
Dies
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1931
Died, aged 84
Notable works
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1877
Phonograph Invention
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1879
Incandescent light bulb Invention
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1891
Kinetoscope Invention
With William Dickson.
Awards and honours
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Matteucci Medal
1887
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John Fritz Medal
1908
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Congressional Gold Medal
1928
Did you know?
-
1
He was partly deaf from childhood.
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2
He is credited with saying genius is “one per cent inspiration, ninety-nine per cent perspiration”.
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3
His last breath is said to be preserved in a test tube at the Henry Ford Museum.
Connections
Related people
Frequently asked
Who is Thomas Edison?
Thomas Edison was an American inventor and businessman who held more than 1,000 US patents. He invented the phonograph, developed a practical incandescent light bulb and electric power system, and his laboratories contributed to motion pictures. His Menlo Park lab is often called the first industrial research laboratory.
When did Thomas Edison die?
Thomas Edison died on 18 October 1931 at the age of 84.
Where is Thomas Edison from?
Thomas Edison was born in Milan, Ohio, United States.
What is Thomas Edison known for?
Thomas Edison is best known for Phonograph; practical incandescent light bulb; electric power distribution; Menlo Park laboratory.
What awards has Thomas Edison received?
Notable honours include Matteucci Medal (1887), John Fritz Medal (1908), Congressional Gold Medal (1928).
References
- Thomas Edison — Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Thomas Edison — Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Thomas Edison — IMDb. IMDb. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Thomas Edison — Goodreads author page. Goodreads. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Thomas Edison — Hindi Wikipedia. Wikipedia (Hindi). Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Thomas Edison (Q8743) — structured data. Wikidata. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
Includes material from the Wikipedia article “Thomas Edison”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. That text is available under the same licence. Learn more
External links
About this profile
- Researched by the TrackFame editorial team; reviewed by Sanjay Sokal under our editorial policy
- First published 4 November 2026
- Last updated
Cite this page
“Thomas Edison.” TrackFame, last updated 4 November 2026. https://trackfame.com/person/thomas-edison
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