Thomas Edison
Born 1847 · Age 178
American inventor and businessman who developed devices in electric power generation, mass communication, sound recording, and motion pictures; holder of 1,093 U.S. patents and founder of the first industrial research laboratory.
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Life & Career Timeline
Born in Milan, Ohio
Thomas Alva Edison born to Samuel Ogden Edison Jr. and Nancy Matthews Elliott in Milan, Ohio.
Family moved to Port Huron, Michigan
Edison's family relocated from Milan, Ohio to Port Huron, where he grew up.
Developed hearing loss
At about age 12 Edison developed severe hearing problems (attributed to scarlet fever and/or untreated infections), later affecting his life and work habits.
Left formal school; self-educated
Attended formal school only sporadically; mother taught him basics and he became largely self-taught through reading.
Began selling newspapers on trains (newsboy)
Worked as a newsboy and vendor on the railroad between Port Huron and Detroit; started earning and buying experiment supplies.
Saved Jimmie MacKenzie; trained as telegrapher
After rescuing a 3-year-old from a runaway train, he was trained as a telegraph operator by the grateful station agent J. U. MacKenzie.
Became itinerant telegrapher
Worked as a telegraph operator across the Midwest, South, Canada, and New England, gaining electrical and practical experience.
Moved to Louisville; worked for Western Union
Employed at Associated Press bureau news wire; requested night shift to continue experiments and reading.
Fired for lab accident (acid spill)
While working with lead–acid batteries Edison spilled sulfuric acid and was dismissed the next day.
Moved to New York City; partnership with Franklin L. Pope
Moved to NYC and partnered with telegrapher/inventor Franklin Leonard Pope; lived and worked in Pope's basement while employed at Laws' Gold Indicator Co.
First U.S. patent: Electric vote recorder
Received U.S. patent No. 90,646 for an electric vote recorder, Edison's first patent.
Founded company with Franklin Pope
Pope and Edison established their own electrical engineering and inventor firm (October 1869).
Opened first workshop in Newark, New Jersey
Set up a small manufacturing and workshop facility in Newark to develop telegraph and printing telegraph devices.
Married Mary Stilwell
Edison married Mary Stilwell on December 25, beginning his first marriage.
Birth of daughter Marion Estelle ("Dot")
First child Marion Estelle Edison (nicknamed Dot) was born.
Quadruplex telegraph breakthrough
Developed the quadruplex telegraph system capable of sending four messages simultaneously; led to major sale(s).
Sale of quadruplex (reported payment by Jay Gould)
Britannica reports Jay Gould paid Edison more than $100,000 (cash, bonds, and stock) for the quadruplex in December 1874.
Established Menlo Park laboratory
Built the first industrial research laboratory in Menlo Park, New Jersey, with funds from telegraph successes.
Developed carbon microphone/transmitter
Began work on an improved telephone transmitter using carbon granules to modulate current, improving telephony clarity.
Invented the phonograph
Created the tin-foil cylinder phonograph in 1877, the first device to record and reproduce sound; earned international fame.
Filed phonograph patent (dated Dec 24)
Filed for the phonograph patent which would be awarded in early 1878.
Formed Edison Electric Light Company (NYC)
Formed Edison Electric Light Company with financiers including J.P. Morgan and Spencer Trask to commercialize electric lighting.
Phonograph patent awarded
U.S. patent for the phonograph issued (patent awarded in February 1878 per timeline).
Demonstrated phonograph to Congress and President Hayes
In April 1878 Edison demonstrated the phonograph before the National Academy of Sciences, Congress, and President Rutherford B. Hayes.
Achieved long-lasting incandescent lamp
In 1879 Edison and team discovered carbonized bamboo filament that could last over 1,200 hours; major step toward practical incandescent bulb.
Filed U.S. patent for electric lamp (No. 223,898)
Filed for the incandescent electric lamp patent describing carbon filaments (granted January 27, 1880).
Public demonstration of incandescent lighting at Menlo Park
First public demonstration of Edison's electric lighting system at Menlo Park on Dec 31, 1879; proclaimed goal to make electricity cheap.
First commercial application: steamship Columbia lit with Edison bulbs
Edison's incandescent bulbs were installed aboard the Oregon R.& N. Co.'s steamer Columbia in May 1880—the first commercial application.
Established Edison Illuminating Company
Founded the Edison Illuminating Company on December 17, 1880 to provide electric utility services and system components.
Discovered 'Edison Effect' (thermionic emission)
Observed the unidirectional current in bulbs (Edison Effect), foundational for development of vacuum tubes and electronics.
First practical demonstration in London (Holborn Viaduct)
Switched on a 93 kW steam-generating DC power station at Holborn Viaduct (January 1882) to demonstrate lighting feasibility in London.
Pearl Street Station opened (NYC)
Pearl Street Station (600 kW) began operation on Sep 4, 1882; initially served ~59 customers, later growing to 508 customers and 10,164 lamps.
Patent for voltage regulator; early electronic device
1883 patent involving Edison effect bulb as active component—an early electronic device and voltage regulator patent.
Death of first wife Mary Stilwell
Mary Stilwell Edison died on August 9, 1884, a personal loss that influenced Edison's life and residence decisions.
Purchased Fort Myers property for winter retreat
Bought 13 acres in Fort Myers, Florida for roughly $2,750 and later built Seminole Lodge as a winter home.
Moved Menlo Park operations; began building West Orange lab
Menlo Park activities wound down and Edison moved to larger, modern laboratory facilities in West Orange (opened 1887).
Married Mina Miller; purchased Glenmont estate
Married Mina Miller on Feb 24, 1886 and purchased Glenmont in Llewellyn Park, West Orange (Glenmont purchased as a wedding gift).
Opened West Orange laboratory complex
A five-building West Orange research complex (main lab opened Nov 1887) provided expanded R&D and manufacturing capability.
Matteucci Medal awarded
Edison received the Matteucci Medal (listed among awards he earned in the period around the 1880s).
Initiated motion picture research; filed Kinetoscope caveat
After meeting Muybridge, Edison assigned Dickson to create a device to do 'for the eye what the phonograph does for the ear'; filed caveat for Kinetograph/Kinetoscope Oct 8, 1888.
Birth of daughter Madeleine
Madeleine Edison born May 31, 1888 (daughter with Mina Miller).
Edison General Electric formed
Edison's electric companies consolidated into Edison General Electric (April 1889); Edison began to lose majority control in subsequent years.
Birth of son Charles Edison
Charles Edison was born on August 3, 1890 (one of Edison's children who later succeeded him at Thomas A. Edison, Inc.).
Public exhibition of the Kinetoscope (peep-hole viewer)
Kinetoscope (peep-hole motion picture viewer) publicly exhibited May 20, 1891; began penny arcade distribution later.
Merger into General Electric
Edison General Electric merged with Thomson-Houston in 1892 to form General Electric; Thomson-Houston board took control and Edison became a figurehead director before later selling shares.
Completed Black Maria film studio
Construction of the Black Maria motion picture studio completed (February 1893); early Edison motion pictures filmed there.
Bankruptcy of North American Phonograph Co.
The North American Phonograph Company (created to lease phonographs for dictation) declared bankruptcy in 1894; Edison was its principal creditor.
Opened first Kinetoscope parlor
First Kinetoscope parlor opened in midtown Manhattan (April 14, 1894), commercializing individual-viewer motion pictures.
Founded National Phonograph Company
Formed the National Phonograph Co. (Jan 27, 1896) to manufacture phonographs for home use and sell records.
Vitascope projection public exhibition
Vitascope (projector marketed in Edison's name) publicly exhibited April 23, 1896; Edison Manufacturing produced/projected films.
Introduced Edison Concert Phonograph
Released the Concert Phonograph and continued improvements in cylinders and recording technology.
Incorporated the Edison Manufacturing Company
Edison Manufacturing Co. incorporated on May 5, 1900 to consolidate motion-picture manufacture and related operations.
Introduced Gold Moulded cylinders; new indoor studio
Implemented mass-production process for duplicate wax cylinders (Gold Moulded) and completed a new glass-enclosed indoor film studio (Jan 1901).
Edison Storage Battery Company share issued
Share certificate of Edison Storage Battery Company issued Oct 19, 1903—reflects Edison's work on nickel–iron rechargeable batteries.
Filmed The Great Train Robbery
Edwin S. Porter directed The Great Train Robbery (filmed Nov 1903) for Edison—one of the most famous early narrative films.
Business phonograph introduced
Edison introduced a model targeted for business use as phonograph markets diversified.
Motion Picture Patents Company formed (Edison Trust)
Motion Picture Patents Company (MPPC) formed in 1908 as a licensing conglomerate of major film studios; Edison was central to its formation.
Reorganized as Thomas A. Edison, Inc.
Consolidated many Edison businesses into Thomas A. Edison, Inc. (company reorganization around 1910).
Shown Edison Disc Phonograph publicly
Edison Disc Phonograph was exhibited publicly for the first time in 1911 as part of continued phonograph innovation.
Named head of the Naval Consulting Board
In 1915 Edison suggested formation and headed the Naval Consulting Board to advise the U.S. military during WWI concerns.
Motion Picture Patents Co. found guilty of antitrust
On October 1, 1915 MPPC was found guilty of antitrust violation, weakening the Edison Trust's control of film patents/market.
Created Army & Navy Model Disc Phonograph for WWI
During U.S. entry into WWI Edison produced models of disc phonographs for military use.
Sold film studio; motion picture production ceased
Edison Manufacturing Co.'s studio ceased production in Feb 1918 and the studio was sold March 30, 1918 to Lincoln & Parker Film Co.
Awarded Navy Distinguished Service Medal
Recognized with the Navy Distinguished Service Medal in 1920 for contributions during wartime advisory work.
Formed Edison Botanical Research efforts with Ford & Firestone (pooled funds)
Edison, Henry Ford, and Harvey S. Firestone pooled $75,000 to form the Edison Botanical Research Corporation to search for rubber sources (text references pooled $75,000).
Began concentrated rubber research
Edison's late-life work included extensive botanical research (in Fort Myers) to find domestic sources of rubber; tested thousands of plants.
Awarded Congressional Gold Medal
In 1928 Edison received a Congressional Gold Medal recognizing lifetime contributions to technology and industry.
Menlo Park laboratory inaugurated as museum
Menlo Park laboratory was restored and inaugurated as a museum at Henry Ford's Greenfield Village, celebrated in 1929.
Recorded spoken recitation (archival voice)
In 1929 Edison recited 'Mary Had a Little Lamb'—one of the late-life recordings preserving his voice.
Closed Edison disc business (orders Oct 21, 1929; closing actions into 1930)
Orders to close Edison disc business were given Oct 21, 1929 and closures continued into 1930 as market changed and losses mounted.
Legacy: 1,093 U.S. patents
By the end of his life Edison was credited with 1,093 U.S. patents (plus many foreign patents), cementing his status as America's most prolific inventor.
Designated burial and memorialization
Edison's burial place and later the creation of the Thomas Edison National Historical Park preserve his home, labs, and legacy (site established later).
Death in West Orange, New Jersey
Thomas A. Edison died on October 18, 1931 at Glenmont, West Orange, due to complications from diabetes.
Key Achievement Ages
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