Thomas Edison

Thomas Edison, whose inventions are known throughout the world, received more than a thousand patents. Before him, no one in such numbers had them. This man was improved incandescent lamp (he made it economical), telephone, film equipment, telegraph. They created a phonograph, a counter of votes during the elections, an iron-nickel battery, an electric chair.

Thomas Edison. Biography

This man was born in 1847, on February 11, in the city of Mylan , Ohio. His father (Samuel) was the owner of a carpenter's shop, and his mother (Nancy) - a teacher.

When Thomas was seven years old, his father went bankrupt. In this regard, the family was forced to move to Port Huron , Michigan. There, Thomas Edison went to primary school. However, he spent three months in it. The boy was not distinguished by any outstanding abilities, he studied, in general, not very well. After the teacher called Thomas "dumb" at all, the mother took the boy home. Then he received only home education.

At ten Thomas Edison was seriously carried away by chemistry and equipped a small laboratory in the basement of the house. However, the experiments needed money. At the age of twelve Thomas went to work. He sold apples in the city square, and then began to trade different goods on trains, in which he spent a lot of time. He was even given a baggage car, where he transferred his laboratory and where he put his experiments. When Thomas was fifteen years old, he bought a second-hand machine and began to publish a newspaper.

Since 1863, Thomas began to work as a telegraph operator. For five years he actively studied his work. Edison thought about inventing after reading Faraday's book about experimental studies of electricity.

In 1869, the first patent was obtained for the registrar of votes. However, there were no buyers for this invention. From this moment, Thomas Edison decides to deal only with profitable developments. In 1870, he sells a patent for a telegraphic device that informs stock quotes on the stock exchange (ticker). The funds that he received (forty thousand dollars) went to the creation of a laboratory in Newark. Serial production of tickers begins.

In 1873, Thomas Edison invented a duplex scheme for the functioning of the telegraph. This development allowed two messages to be transmitted in the opposite directions on the same wire simultaneously. Subsequently, Edison began to transmit four messages.

In 1876, the inventor moved to Menlo Park. He creates here a new workshop-laboratory. Thomas Edison equips her with all the necessary equipment and tools, carefully selects the staff. The goal was to improve the technique to such an extent that it could be used with advantage. By and large, this laboratory was the world's first research institute. In 1877 a coal microphone and phonograph were produced. The latter was still far from perfect, but at that time enjoyed insane popularity. In the following year, 1878, Thomas Edison began to introduce incandescent lamps into the industry . They were invented before him, the inventor only perfected them. In 1882, Edison created his first power plant. Since that time, the era of the lighting industry in the United States began.

In 1887, the inventor opened a new laboratory in West Oring, larger and better equipped. A dictaphone, an alkaline battery, a fluoroscope, a kinescope was created here, and a phonograph was also improved.

In 1892 Edison created the largest concern "General Electric".

The last few years he spent calmly and measuredly. Lived Edison in abundance, raising children and grandchildren.

The inventor died in West Orange, New Jersey, in 1931, on October 18.